Aptera, the US company that wants to mass-produce a solar electric vehicle (SEV), announced it has removed the deadline on its Accelerator program, which allows investors to lock in one of the first 2,000 vehicles made by depositing at least $10,000.
Aptera’s Accelerator program was announced in late January and the solar electric vehicle startup initially scheduled the end of the crowdfunding campaign for March 26, 2023, but has now removed the deadline altogether. However, the space number remains unchanged at 2000, so when all of them are spoken, the program will end.
However, with that being said, only 606 delivery slots have been filled as of today, which means that Aptera still has over 1,300 slots available and from the sounds of it needs the money from this crowdfunding campaign to start the production.
In January, the SEV firm said it needed an additional $50 million to begin assembly of the three-wheeler covered in photovoltaic panels. It recently received a $21 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC), but the grant itself is a rebate program, so Aptera must first spend money out of its own pocket on qualifying purchases such as production equipment, which will then be paid back by the grant.
So, after some quick math, if the Californian start-up convinces 1,394 people to invest at least $10,000 through its Accelerator program, it would get at least $13.94 million. Add that to the $8.73 million already accumulated from the first 606 Accelerator investors and Aptera would have $22.67 million in its bank account, enough to cover the CEC grant.
The way the company’s crowdfunding works is pretty simple: The more money you invest, the higher you are on the waiting list for the first 2,000 units of the solar vehicle. According to the official ranking, one person has invested more than $1 million and is first in line to get their electric three-wheeler when production begins.
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In addition to earning one of the first 2,000 cars ever built, those who participate in the Accelerator program will earn a serialized book numbered to match their vehicle and signed by the Aptera co-founders, as well as serialized markings on the driver’s side B-pillar. . and the opening area of the rear hatch of the solar EV.
The launch edition of the Aptera SEV features a 400-mile (643-kilometer) range battery pack, as well as an integrated 700-watt solar pack that offers up to 40 miles (64 km) of solar charging per day if the user is based somewhere with very high sun exposure like southern California and drives an average of 29 miles (46 km) daily.
The Aptera Launch Edition features a four-wheel drive system that generates a combined power of 128 kilowatts, enabling a sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 96 kilometers per hour) in 4 seconds and a top speed of 101 mph (162 km/h).
The Aptera can be charged via AC at a rate of 13 miles (21 km) per hour when connected to a 120V outlet, while a 240V outlet results in a charging speed of up to 57 miles (91 km) per hour. DC fast charging is also available, and the solar EV accepts between 40 and 60 kW via Tesla’s port of charge (NACS). Furthermore, the company says that later, after further testing, DC fast charging speeds will increase to 100 kW. And now that the Supercharger network is opening up to other brands, it means Aptera owners will be able to effortlessly recharge at Tesla kiosks.
The Aptera Launch Edition has an MSRP of $33,200, with a $100 reservation fee, so if you don’t want to invest tens of thousands of dollars in the venture, you can still reserve a solar EV, you just won’t be at the front of the line. line once production starts after securing financing.
According to the company, it has more than 40,000 reservations and plans to build at least 5,000 Launch Edition vehicles, with a subsequent goal of producing at least 10,000 vehicles a year.