U.S. solar EV startup Aptera Motors said on Tuesday it has begun constructing a validation assembly line at its headquarters in Carlsbad, California, marking a key step toward scaled production of its three-wheeled solar-powered vehicle.
The new validation line will allow Aptera to move from prototype development to a structured and repeatable assembly process. Co-founder and co-CEO Steve Fambro said the facility serves as a bridge between prototype builds and full-scale production systems the company plans to deploy for its solar mobility rollout.
Aptera, which listed directly on the Nasdaq last month under the ticker SEV, said it recently secured up to $75 million in committed equity financing from New Circle Principal Investments LLC, an affiliate of New Circle Capital. The funding is expected to help advance the startup’s solar EV development and support ongoing assembly line construction.
According to Aptera, the validation line will be equipped with a large-scale precision assembly fixture enabling the vehicle’s carbon composite body structure to be built with high dimensional accuracy. The fixture will also provide a foundation for low-volume production while allowing engineers and technicians to refine processes such as component handling, fitting, and finishing.
Co-CEO Chris Anthony described the milestone as an important moment for the company, noting that for the first time, Aptera’s technicians will be assembling vehicles along a defined sequence of stations using newly developed engineering processes.
Aptera said it has begun assembling validation vehicles and stockpiling key materials, including carbon body components. The company aims to use insights from this phase to optimize production methods ahead of pre-production and customer deliveries. However, Aptera noted that it still requires about $65 million in additional funding to advance from the validation stage to low-volume manufacturing.
