Aptera solar-powered ‘Batmobile’ car gets 7,000 preorders [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Aptera Motors is working on a solar-powered car which contains 34-square feet of solar cells powering the car.
• Around 7,000 reservations have been made so far.
• Most of the car’s paneling is made of composite materials, designed to be 3D printed, to further reduce emission production and costs.

The world’s first mass-produced solar-powered car, which looks like a hybrid of Formula One racing car and the Batmobile, is making an initial market feat.

Months before launch, the pioneering car already received 7,000 reservations, worth a total of $250,000, as Aptera Motors announced a $4 million Series A round of financing on February 18.

Costing around $25,000, the three-wheeled Aptera electric trike, which can be plugged in, contains 34-square feet of solar cells generating electricity to power the car. The car needs only 15 minutes of charge to drive 150 miles without stopping. By simply leaving it parked under the sun for a day gives it power to reach 40 miles, which is like fueling an automobile car with two gallons of gasoline.

The Aptera solar trike, whose technologies come together and complement each other, can be comparable with an estuary — a unique environment where a large river mouth or river delta mingles with salty seawater.

Its tapered backside, aerodynamic body, and arched, dolphin-like undercarriage are altogether designed to reduce drag.

“We think energy should be used to turn your wheels — that starts with aerodynamics,” said Anthony in a video released by the company announcing it was taking preorders. “In a typical vehicle you use 60% of your fuel just pushing the air out of the way at highway speeds; so if you could take that aerodynamic drag down to 0, you’d instantly get 60% better fuel economy.”

Steve Fambro, the second co-founder of the company, added: “Instead of having 200-300 parts to the body, [the Aptera has] four parts to the main structure, and that makes it much easier to build, track, and assemble.”

Most of the car’s paneling is made of composite materials involving fiberglass, carbon, and aluminum, designed to be 3D printed, to further reduce emission production and costs.

The makers also added smart auto-pilot features and took advantage of 20+ years of innovation in battery and electric drivetrain technology in their goal to create the ‘best electric car in the world.’

Aptera moved to a new production and design facility in San Diego, California as part of a bid to get the car to market by the end of the year.

Source: Good News Network