Aptera’s solar-powered EV isn’t for every driver—the car guys may scoff at its sci-fi styling, while the more practically minded may find its lack of cargo space to be a deal-killer. However, it’s a historic vehicle, and the EV industry is following the company’s progress closely, because the vehicle is designed to be the most efficient possible with current technology.

In a sense, the creation of Aptera’s so-called solar electric vehicle—which boasts a range of up to 400 miles, plus the ability to travel up to 40 miles per day on free sunlight—is like a moonshot, serving as a catalyst for the development of a range of EV-related technologies. The company notes that its vehicle relies on breakthroughs in solar technology, battery efficiency, aerodynamics, material science and manufacturing. (Aptera also promises to produce “a series of eco-friendly vehicles for consumer and commercial use.”)

Now the company has taken a production-intent vehicle on a road trip, to show what the solar EV can do in real-world driving conditions.

Aptera Co-CEO Steve Fambro drove over 300 miles on a single charge through snow-covered mountains, down historic Route 66, across the desert, and back to California. The car demonstrated efficiency of 122 Wh per mile, which Aptera says is twice as efficient as today’s most efficient production EV. The integrated solar panels added 2.4 kWh of energy—equivalent to 20 miles—on a partly cloudy day.

As some of our more skeptical colleagues hastened to point out, this wasn’t a formal range test, but Aptera never said it was. This was apparently more of a shakedown cruise to get some first impressions (and of course, some publicity). The test vehicle is heavier than the production model is expected to be, so the efficiency of the production vehicle may be even better. Aptera intends to conduct final efficiency and range validation “in the coming months,” on a closed course, with performance stats verified by a third party in the usual fashion.

Source: Aptera Motors