Frequently Asked Questions

Aptera is equipped with two ultra-sonic parking assist sensors on the nose of the vehicle that will detect obstacles and protect the wheel pants from damage so that you can adjust in tight places to provide enough support for the driver to maneuver comfortably. Additionally, the front and rear bumpers on the wheel pants are made of high-energy absorbing, impact-resilient, closed-cell foam in case of any impact shock. 

Imagine going to the pump and filling up 1.2 gallons into your vehicle and then traveling 400 miles. That’s what our 42kWh Launch Edition battery can do.

Aptera will utilize Eve Energy’s 21700 NMC 811 cylindrical cells in its vehicle’s structural battery packs. These lithium-ion structural battery packs will be produced in San Diego. You can read more by clicking through this link.

For production, our complete HVAC system will include the following— windshield and side window defrost, left and right under IP footwell vents, left and right outer corners of IP vents, and the main screen vent system, which will be fully controllable in both temperature and velocity of the airflow. The center venting system was born of our design process and philosophy with roots in intelligent efficiency and radical simplicity in that we had two needs fulfilled by one solution.

Aptera is 87.6″ wide. We realize this may be wider than local regulations permit for some of our global customers and we are working through this process with industry experts to ensure we can make Aptera available in Europe and the UK.

This may change slightly in production, but it is 6’2″ right now.

Aptera is designed to carry a 500 lbs payload of passengers and cargo, or a max of 300lbs in the rear cargo (if you only have the driver).

There will be a jack point to lift the vehicle for wheel/ tire repairs. The wheel covers can be removed without unusual tools or special skills in a couple of minutes. See for yourself at minute 1:37 in the video below:

Aptera uses 100 Watt Hours (Wh) per mile, a fraction of the energy larger EVs are using to go the same distance.

Efficient transportation is crucial to managing our natural resources. With a focus on efficiency, Aptera makes better use of materials in construction and in their use. This saves resources we cannot afford to waste and lessens our overall impact on the planet and each other.

The vehicle is made of lightweight composites that are many times stronger than steel, allowing its unique body shape to slip through the air with an unheard-of drag coefficient (Cd) of .13.

Most vehicles today waste more than 65% of their energy at highway speeds due to aerodynamic drag. Aptera’s unique body shape allows it to slip through the air using far less energy than any other vehicle on the road. We can burn 30% of the energy the average EV does to go the same distance. Aptera puts over 90% of its battery pack’s energy into propelling itself with regenerative braking to add range.

Depending on where you live and how your vehicle is configured, some drivers can get up to 40 miles of range per day powered by the sun.  Our Co-CEO Steve Fambro explains the science behind this engineering innovation from the team at Aptera.

Our charging infrastructure is stellar. You will achieve up to 40 miles of range per day while outside in the sunlight, trickling down into your battery pack. From a 110V cord, like what you’d charge your cell phone on, you receive about 13 miles an hour, or about 150 miles of charge overnight. At roadside charging stations, you’d likely get about 100 miles in 10 minutes. Once we have final charging specifications, we will be able to provide you with exact charge times based on your battery pack size, home outlets, and amperage available, as well as any onboard chargers we might recommend.

You can plug Aptera in like any other electric vehicle — Aptera can be charged and travel 250, 400, 600, or 1,000 miles (depending on your battery pack size) by plugging in at home to a standard 110V or 220V outlet. The built-in solar power is a bonus.

We plan for Aptera to be compatible with Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 DC Fast Charge stations; and to ship the vehicle with a charging adapter so that you can charge it anywhere.

One of the key features setting Aptera apart from other electric vehicles is our unique combination of solar and electric power to get you where you need to go with less impact on the planet.

Aptera uses the Sun to enhance its range — charging up to 40 miles a day from the solar cells alone when parked outside; this is made possible by Aptera’s aerodynamic design – fundamentally solving significant energy loss from drag. In other words, Aptera only uses 1/3 of the energy of a typical EV, charges more than 3x as fast, and gets 3x more mileage per battery charge.

And for those who drive farther than the sun can take you, not to worry. You can plug in your Aptera to a standard 110V or 220V outlet and achieve 250, 400, 600, or 1,000 miles in range, depending on your battery pack size. Watch our video and learn more about Aptera – a True Zero-Emission Vehicle.

Aptera has significant safety advantages over other vehicles. Complete with an anti-lock braking system, forward collision warning with the safety pilot package, two airbags, four external cameras, and parking assist. We are designing to meet or exceed all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and use industry-standard testing protocols to ensure reliability and durability.

Our Formula One-inspired safety cell uses advanced Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (CF-SMC) that is ultra-lightweight and many times stronger than steel, paired with metallic front and rear subframes that absorb energy after impact. We will show our testing and provide Aptera’s safety rating upon passing a production vehicle through the full safety tests. 

Watch this video to see efficiency explained.