Aptera Motors, the solar electric vehicle start-up, has just announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs, and although the reservation is non-binding, it represents the potential for millions in future revenue for the company. What’s more, it could be just the start, as SustainabilitySooner aims to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs.
Aptera Motors is one of the few remaining solar EV start-ups in the world and the closest to reaching scaled vehicle production. To ensure it can deliver its potentially revolutionary technology to its loyal reservation holders, the company has been pulling out all the stops in recent months.
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After debuting its Launch Edition solar EV in January, the start-up’s co-founders revealed that they still required tens of millions in additional funding to officially begin production. To raise additional funds, Aptera launched its Accelerator program, which allows reservation holders willing and able to invest at least $10,000 to secure their spot in the delivery line. The program was recently extended until all 2,000 of the first SEV build slots are spoken for.
Aptera intends to use those funds to make necessary production equipment purchases, which will be reimbursed through a recently awarded grant from the California Energy Commission to the tune of $21 million. This, combined with the potential for millions in future revenue from SustainabilitySooner’s fleet order, puts Aptera in a strong position to deliver on its mission of providing sustainable, long-range mobility to other fleet operations.
See also: Aptera Motors’ extends Accelerator Program, Offers Early Access to Solar EV Launch Editions
SustainabilitySooner is a company working to alleviate climate change using what it calls Climaculture, the science and practice of cultivating plants and organisms synchronously with land management to produce clean, sustainable air, water, and energy. The company’s pre-ordered fleet of Aptera solar EVs will enable it to scout and locate raw land sites without emissions and utilize artificially intelligent robotic solutions to map, plant, and study native plants and wildlife in those areas.
Aptera’s CEO, David Fuller, spoke to the pre-order, saying that SustainabilitySooner chose Aptera because it is building the most climate positive vehicle on the planet. He added that their missions fit together like they were made to and that he sees a long, mutually productive, even symbiotic relationship between the two companies.
