Aptera Motors, the solar electric vehicle (sEV) startup, has revealed its production-ready vehicle at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, though it remains unclear when the first units will reach customers.
The company first introduced its Launch Edition of the solar electric vehicle in January 2023, promising production would begin later that year. However, financial challenges delayed the timeline. In 2024, Aptera secured $33 million in funding and announced it was preparing for production, but the solar-powered trike from California has yet to be delivered.
Since then, Aptera has raised a total of $135 million through equity funding, which the company says will help “accelerate its path to series production and deliver a future where every journey is powered by the sun.” Despite this funding boost, Aptera has not provided an updated timeline for production or deliveries.
The solar-powered vehicle has generated significant interest, with Aptera reporting nearly 50,000 reservations, representing more than $1.7 billion in potential revenue. Additionally, the company secured a pre-order for 101 vehicles from SustainabilitySooner in March 2023, valued at $3.35 million. Aptera has also expanded to the United Arab Emirates, where a limited production version, the ‘Union Edition,’ is expected to be delivered in 2026.
The production-ready version on display at CES 2025 does not feature any major technical changes from the Launch Edition introduced two years ago. The vehicle offers a range of up to 400 miles (643 kilometers) and is equipped with integrated solar panels that can charge up to 40 miles of range per day. In sunny climates, Aptera claims the vehicle can cover more than 10,000 miles annually powered solely by solar energy.
The solar vehicle is built with carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CF-SMC) and features four solar panels placed on the hood, dash, roof, and hatch. The wheel motors are supplied by Elaphe, and the battery cells come from Eve Energy.
“Today marks a pivotal moment not only for Aptera but for the future of sustainable transportation,” said Chris Anthony, Co-CEO of Aptera Motors. “This vehicle embodies years of innovation and relentless pursuit of energy-efficient mobility. CES is the perfect stage to share our vision and invite the world to join us in creating a cleaner, solar-powered future.”
