Aptera debuts Launch Edition solar EV, but start of production will take some time… and money
Aptera Motors has inched closer than ever to customer deliveries of its flagship solar EV donning the company name. During a webinar presentation earlier today, the California-based startup unveiled new details its Launch Edition solar EV – a unified configuration that includes all-wheel drive and 400 miles of range, but Aptera still has a few financial and infrastructural hurdles to overcome before it can start delivering these solar EVs to the masses. More below.
Since first unveiling its flagship solar EV, Aptera Motors has been continuously working to deliver it to its growing number of loyal reservation holders, some of which were fans of the company during its first attempt at scaling solar EVs back in the late 2000’s.
During its second go around, Aptera has been doing a lot of things right. In the past two years alone, we’ve ridden in an Alpha prototype, watched the Beta destroy a Tesla and an Audi R8 Spyder in a drag race, and have gotten transparent monthly check-in videos from cofounder Chris Anthony on YouTube.
Last September, we got to see the Gamma version of the Aptera solar EV up-close and spoke with the team about its plans for the production-intent Delta design. Aptera unveiled video footage of Delta a couple weeks ago, ahead of today’s presentation promising to deliver more exact specifications.
More specifically, today’s news pertains to the Launch Edition solar EV that will kick off the first of many long-anticipated customer deliveries… if and when production begins. According to the startup’s founders, that moment could still be a year away.
Aptera shares specs of new solar EV, production timelines
Following today’s live webinar from Aptera HQ led by cofounders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony, there is a lot to be excited about in regard to the Launch Edition solar EV and Aptera vehicles in general. However, it comes with a tinge of caution ever-present in the rollercoaster world of EV startups.
Let’s focus on the positives to begin.
Aptera is reporting that it is essentially “pencils down” on the overall design of its flagship solar EV, aside from some lighting and other validations. Additionally, the method for how the SEV will be produced and scaled is also locked in, another check mark. Supply agreements are also being worked out.
To begin, Aptera has been advised to start with one product, sell the hell out of it, homogenize the supply chain, and scale from there. Smart. Exhibit A and why we all gathered online today, is the Launch Edition.
This unified, preconfigured design will be the first Aptera solar EV to be delivered to customers (current reservation holders can easily switch to the Launch Edition now for an earlier delivery, more on that in a bit). Here are some of the more pertinent specifications that will be present in all Launch Editions (no customizations):
- 0.13 drag coefficient
- 40 additional miles per day from solar panels whether parked or driving
- Codex color interior with rose gold accents
- Luna (silver) exterior wrap which offers UV protection, is cost effective, enhances body longevity, and is more sustainable
- 42 kWh battery pack that delivers around 400 miles of range per charge
- 13 mi per hour or 150 miles per night on an 120V charger (Level 1)
- Tesla NACS plug capable of 57 miles of range per hour (240V Level 2)
Notice no mention of Level 3 charging? So far, Aptera’s founders believe the solar EV does not require DC fast charging capabilities thanks to its additional range gathered from the sun each day. Furthermore, that capability adds complexity to the vehicle itself including robustness of the battery pack required to handle such charge rates.
That being said, the team said they are still exploring the possibility of DC fast charging capabilities in the future and could one day add it. Don’t expect to see it in the Launch Edition Aptera, however.
Aptera intends to build 5,000 Launch Edition solar EVs to begin, but said it’s open to expanding that number should the startup see overwhelming demand for its first model. Cofounder Steve Fambro spoke during the presentation:
The production of our Launch Edition vehicles symbolizes a dawn of a new era. It’s about introducing Aptera’s unique and revolutionary capabilities to the world as quickly and as safely as we can, because we all know time is of the essence when it comes to saving the planet.
Fellow founder Chris Anthony then chimed in as well:
It’s also the foundation of our shift as a company toward manufacturing and production. It’s about building the team and the processes to ensure we get solar technology to the masses. It’s our desire as a movement to show the world the capabilities of Aptera.
According to Aptera, it intends to have its assembly lines operational nine months from now, followed by vehicles that are ready for solar panels and interior components about 12 months from now. Before then, however, Aptera will need to re-up on cash to ensure it can meet customer demand and finally deliver.
Aptera continues its success, but will require more capital
Aptera’s movement is certainly growing as is its list of reservation holders following today’s presentation. However, Aptera’s founders admitted that the startup is in need of at least $50 million in additional capital this year to reach merely the first gate of volume SEV production.
To date, the company says it has raised $85 million from over 15,000 investors, including previous crowdfunding campaigns, explaining that it has been quite nimble with its money. That said, it will need more to implement the necessary tools and machinery to mass produce its vehicles.
In addition to more crowdfunding, Aptera’s founders explained they are seeking government loans and grant programs to reach that additional $50M and beyond. They also mentioned that consumers can still get in as an investors “pre-IPO,” whatever that means. We should learn more following Aptera’s webinar with investors next week.
In terms of production timelines, Aptera says the recently revealed production-intent Delta prototypes will continue through crash testing and validation this year. Physical versions of the Launch Edition Aptera solar EVs will debut after that, followed by test drives (sign me up!)
Current reservation holders – You may want to consider changing your configuration to the Launch Edition if you’re absolutely itching to get your hands on an Aptera first. According to the team, here’s the order of priority the SEVs will be built if and when production begins:
- First 5,000 (possibly more) Launch Editions
- 400 mile range battery pack option
- 250 mile range option
- 600 mile range option
- 1,000 mile range battery pack Aptera
You can update your reservation on the Aptera website, or if you haven’t done so yet, you can still reserve an Aptera solar EV of your own today for only $100 down.
Use this link to get $30 off your reservation.
Check out the full 40-minute webinar from earlier today as well.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
A new report states that Tesla will pause part of new Model Y production at Gigafactory Shanghai for 3 weeks to upgrade the lines.
The shutdown will extend beyond the regular Chinese New Year.
The Chinese New Year is technically 2 weeks long, but the official holiday lasts a week, during which significant parts of the country’s industries shut down.
That includes the auto industry and Tesla, but it looks like the American automaker plans to do things a bit differently this year after having just started production of its updated Model Y at Gigafactory Shanghai.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Tesla plans to shut down part of its new Model Y production lines from around January 22 to February 14.
In comparison, Tesla only plans to shut down production of the Model 3, the only other vehicle produced at the plant, from January 26 to February 3.
Tesla only recently started production of the updated version of its best-selling electric SUV. The report states that the automaker will take advantage of this extended Lunar New Year shutdown to upgrade parts of the production lines in order to streamline and ramp up production capacity.
The automaker delivered about 480,000 Model Ys in China in 2024 – up about 5% year-over-year.
Reports claimed that Tesla received over 50,000 orders for the updated vehicle version in the first 24 hours of the unveiling.
Electrek’s Take
It makes sense. Over the last few weeks, Tesla has basically been running a pilot of production of the upgraded version, which is entirely different from the previous version, but there are enough differences that new parts and processes can create bottlenecks.
Tesla likely found ways to optimize production during that time and now will implement it during this extended shutdown.
We will try to keep track of the Model Y production and rollout in China as any delay or production issues can be extremely impactful, considering the Model Y is the world’s best-selling EV and China is the biggest EV market.
Any kind of issue there can be extremely impactful on Tesla and the broader EV market.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
American Honda shared a business outlook for 2025 during a recent briefing with the media. In terms of electrification, the next 12 months for Honda will be much of the same: facelifting tried-and-true ICE models like the CR-V and Passport. However, there was one exciting piece of news from Honda on the BEV front—the automaker has confirmed it will begin US production of an Acura RSX EV.
Honda and its premium sub-brand Acura, for that matter, are getting more and more coverage on Electrek’s homepage thanks to the combined efforts in adding new BEV models… although that transition has still been relatively slow compared to other OEMs.
Nevertheless, Honda launched the all-electric Prologue, which has found quick success with US consumers. Shortly thereafter, Acura launched the ZDX, which sits atop the same Ultium platform as Prologue, provided through a partnership with GM.
Honda has since backed out of that partnership—at least the part where GM provides vehicle architecture—and has been developing its own in-house platform that will one day power its new 0 Series lineup of BEVs. These originally debuted at CES 2024 and remerged at this year’s event as prototypes—and now they’re white! They will also feature a new proprietary vehicle OS called ASIMO (more on that below).
While we await the arrival of those Honda BEVs, we can expect to see a new Acura model hit the market first, based on an SUV called the Performance EV Concept, which debuted at Monterey Car Week this past August. At the time, the Acura Design Studio described the concept as “the evolution of Acura’s performance-focused design direction and the brand’s next all-electric model.”
That new production model didn’t have a name yet, but we did learn it would be the first BEV to debut on Honda’s new bespoke platform and the first all-electric model to roll off its assembly lines at the new Honda EV Hub in Marysville, Ohio.
Today, we learned that the Performance EV Concept has evolved into a full-fledged passenger model with a familiar name – the Acura RSX EV.
Acura brings back the “RSX” nameplate as an EV SUV
During a media briefing earlier this week, American Honda shared its 2025 outlook, led by vice president of sales, Lance Woelfer. This year’s strategy includes the production of its first original BEV in Ohio using domestically and globally sourced parts as a new hybrid model and several ICE vehicles (boo).
Woelfer confirmed that the first bespoke all-electric model coming out of Ohio will be the Acura RSX EV. This move marks the return of a notable nameplate in the Acura lineup that evolved from the original Honda Integra. The Acura RSX was sold in North America from the early- to mid-2000s and still has a decent fanbase, especially amongst fans of the Honda Integra and Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) enthusiasts.
Acura revived the Integra nameplate in 2021 as a Honda Civic-based liftback, and although that model is sharp, it remains combustion, hence why Acura has revived the RSX name as an EV model. Per Mike Langel, assistant vice president, Acura National Sales.
The nameplate pays homage to the Acura RSX with its coupe-like silhouette, but it truly represents a forward-looking approach to fun-to-drive performance. Our second all-electric SUV will solidify our EV credentials even as its ICE stablemates, the all-new ADX, RDX, MDX, TLX and Integra continue to attract new buyers to the Acura brand.
The Acura RSX EV, seen in a unique camo wrap above, looks quite sleek, but I predict Integra and RSX purists may reject this new model out of the gate because it’s undeniably an SUV, not a sporty compact like the vehicle(s) it’s named after. This reminds me of when Ford introduced the Mustang Mach-E, and brand loyalists argued, “That’s not a Mustang.” Just like the Mach-E, the Acura RSX EV represents a new generation of performance models, no matter what you call it.
The new SUV also represents a massive step for Honda and its premium brand, as the Acura RSX EV will be the first model to utilize Honda’s new EV platform and its new ASIMO OS operating system introduced at CES 2025. At the time, Honda said ASIMO will constantly update its in-vehicle software via over-the-air (OTA) updates for both the digital UX and integrated dynamics controls that will allow the automaker to deliver “a personalized ownership experience that will enhance the joy of driving.”
Acura says the RSX EV is slotted to begin development testing in real-world conditions this week ahead of planned production in Ohio later this year. We plan to visit Honda’s EV Hub later this month, so perhaps we can capture some images of where this new SUV will be built or, better yet, look at the prototype up close.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway