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| The large but super light and super aerodynamic Aptera trike. |
America’s solar-power car, the large but ultra light Aptera three-wheeler, can now be reserved on their site, but first deliveries are aimed only at the U.S and Europe.
Prices start at $25 900 (R384 118), which money buys you two 50 kW in-hub motors made by Slovenian company Elaphe on the front wheels, powered by a 25 kW/h battery charged by 800 Watt solar panels.
Claiming a range of 64 km of solar-powered driving per day, the sleek two-seater Aptera will meet the commuting needs of most people.
The trike is no slouch between the lights either, doing a claimed 0-100 km/h in under five seconds, on all types of surfaces, thanks to all-wheel-drive with torque control. That narrow tail hides a huge, 700 litre boot, which can be ordered with a pop-up camping tent (below).
For those who want to go further and faster, a third 50 kW motor on the back wheel and 100 kW/h batteries double the price, but also give a claimed range of 1 600 km on a full charge.
At this stage, Aptera does not look to be following the same route as the Elio, a three-wheeler company whose smooth-talking founder Paul Elio took a $100 deposit from some 300 000 Americans before liquidating, but let the buyer be wary as Aptera is also claiming to be “the world’s first Solar Electric Vehicle that requires no charging for most daily use”.
That honour of being first actually goes to two Dutch companies, the solar car that grew out of Stella, the Lightyear One, as well as the fast golf carts built by Squad Mobility.
This author looks forward to see how the Dutch competition will square up to the Yanks. One thing is for sure, it will be good for the first adopters.
