Aptera announces major pre-order worth $3.35 million
The US-based Aptera Motors says it has received a pre-order for 101 of its solar electric cars. The deal is valued at $3.35 million. The company says this is just the beginning.
The reservations come from the company SustainabilitySooner, which also stipulates that it could add more than 100,000 solar electric cars to its fleet as it expands in the US.
“SustainabilitySooner placed Aptera’s first fleet order because Aptera is building the most climate-positive vehicle on the planet,” says SustainabilitySooner CEO David Fuller. “The next mobility revolution must be a climate-positive revolution.”
SustainabilitySooner aims to mitigate climate change through what it calls “Climaculture”: “The science and practice of cultivating plants and organisms in harmony with land management to produce clean, sustainable air, water, and energy; plus, harness it to preserve and curate properties which its subscribers can virtually enjoy while shrinking their carbon footprints.” With pre-ordered vehicles, the startup is planning to scout and locate land areas without emitting emissions. It will also use robotic solutions to map, plant and study native plants and wildlife in these areas.
Aptera had unveiled the ‘Launch Edition’ of its three-wheeled solar electric car in January, but admitted it needed more capital to start production. A week later, Aptera launched its Accelerator programme to raise additional funds from reservation holders willing and able to invest at least US$10,000 to secure their place in the supply chain. With priority given to those who donate the most.
In March, the company also received a US$21 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to support its vehicle and component manufacturing.
Production of the solar-powered vehicle is expected to begin before the end of the year. According to Aptera, the two-seater achieves a cW value of 0.13 and has a range of 400 miles (about 644 km). In addition, the vehicle can also be charged with DC, whereby the manufacturer does not want to rely on the common CCS charging technology, but on Tesla’s Supercharger network.
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