Aptera begins offering the public an opportunity to invest in its solar tech via self-directed IRA
Solar EV startup Aptera Motors has announced a clever new demand lever to get more of the public to invest in its technology en route to initial vehicle production later this year. Starting today, you can now invest in Aptera through a self-directed IRA. If you don’t know what a self-directed IRA is or do not have one yet, no worries; Aptera has the steps in place to walk you through it.
Aptera is a scrappy EV startup in its second iteration, consistently pushing forward and leading a nascent segment of solar EVs as the first-ever to reach scaled production and prove the plausibility of those zero-emissions vehicles.
As it is for all startups, scaling is hard. However, Aptera Motors has never tiptoed around that hurdle it still faces and has already presented several unique solutions to garner funding while offering the public opportunities to be the first to drive off in one of its sun-powered EVs.
In early 2023, Aptera co-founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony announced an Accelerator Program, requesting community funding investments from reservation holders starting at a minimum of $10,000. Those who invested in Aptera have had their deliveries prioritized with commemorative Launch Edition builds.
To make things more fun, Aptera included a leaderboard competition for the 2,000 available slots, equating to a numbered, commemorative build of the Launch Edition. The more invested, the sooner you get your vehicle.
By February 2024, Aptera had filled all 2,000 initial production slots, raising nearly $34 million from reservation holders who were confident in the startup and chose to invest. Still, Aptera’s co-founders relayed that more funding would be required to scale, and the company has been exploring additional funding streams since.
As we’ve reported in the past, the startup is still interested in an IPO to help get production over the finish line. Before then however, the next opportunity to invest in Aptera comes in the form of a self-directed IRA, which the startup has added as an option to its investment page starting today.
You can now invest in Aptera through a self-directed IRA
Per Aptera Motors, the public can now invest in the startup and its solar EV technology by opening a self-directed IRA – an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) bound by traditional rules but with additional options for alternative investments in options not typically found in conventional IRAs (real estate, cryptocurrency, etc.) Per Aptera:
Investing in Aptera with your Self-Directed IRA allows you to align your retirement portfolio with your values and beliefs in clean mobility and cutting-edge technology. As we continue to revolutionize the mobility industry with our solar-powered vehicles and commitment to grid independence, your investment can be a part of driving positive change and shaping the future of mobility.
Many consumers already have some form of retirement investment in place, whether it’s a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or other type. However, self-directed IRAs are less common because they have more complex rules, and the account holder assumes all the risk. In exchange, however, this IRA option provides more flexibility in how you choose to invest your hard-earned money.
As a startup specializing in solar technology and EVs, Aptera is obviously not personally managing the self-directed IRAs but instead has enlisted trusted partners who can help you set one up if you don’t already have one. You can learn more about this opportunity to invest in Aptera and start the process of opening a self-directed IRA through its dedicated page.
As always, Aptera’s solar EVs are available for pre-order now for $100 down, but you can reserve one for $70 using this link.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $1.2 billion in financing to replace Puerto Rico’s fossil fuel plants with solar and battery storage through 2032.
The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced two conditional commitments and one loan closing to power producers in Puerto Rico. Each supports a project contracted with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The announcements include:
- The closing of a $584.5 million loan guarantee to subsidiaries of Convergent Energy to finance a 100 MW solar farm with a 55 MW (55 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in the municipality of Coamo and BESS installations in the municipalities of Caguas (25MW/100MWh), Peñuelas (100MW/400MWh), and Ponce (up to 100MW/400MWh)
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $133.6 million to a subsidiary of Infinigen for a 32.1 MW solar farm with an integrated 14.45 MW (4.76 MWh) BESS, and a co-located standalone 50 MW (200 MWh) BESS expansion in the municipality of Yabucoa
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $489.4 million to a subsidiary of Pattern Energy for three stand-alone BESS in the municipalities of Arecibo (50 MW/200 MWh), and Santa Isabel (50 MW /200 MWh and 80 MW/320 MW), and a 70 MW solar farm with an integrated BESS in the municipality of Arecibo.
If all are finalized, these projects would more than double LPO’s support for utility-scale solar generation and battery energy storage in Puerto Rico.
LPO provides low-cost financing and a rigorous due diligence process, making it a valuable resource for Puerto Rico as it works to rebuild an affordable, reliable, and clean energy system. As a result of reliance on imported fuel, the persistent threat of tropical storms, and underinvested infrastructure, Puerto Ricans today face average energy costs that are twice the US average – all while consuming only one-quarter of the energy of the US per capita.
LPO’s initial loan to a power producer in Puerto Rico, Project Marahu, closed in October 2024, and when complete will add more than 200 MW of solar and up to 285 MW of stand-alone energy storage to Puerto Rico’s grid.
Through its September 2023 partial loan guarantee to Project Hestia, LPO also supports virtual power plant (VPP)-ready rooftop solar and battery storage installations in Puerto Rico. As a nationwide project, Hestia’s sponsor is committed to at least 20% of installations under Project Hestia going to homeowners in Puerto Rico.
As part of its procurement plan, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority seeks to install 1,500 MW of battery storage and requires a minimum capacity of storage to be co-located with each utility-scale solar project. Energy storage systems currently online in Puerto Rico are being dispatched every day.
When including Marahu, LPO’s closed and conditionally committed financing supports over 100% of the capacity Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority aimed to procure under its initial request for energy storage project proposals, the first of six.
Read more: Cleantech investments to top fossil fuels for the first time in 2025
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Chevy just introduced new deals on the Equinox and Blazer EV models to make them even more affordable. With 0% interest and a new trade-in bonus, Chevy is offering over $5,000 in savings.
Chevy adds new Equinox and Blazer EV deals in January
Although the Chevy Equinox EV is already “the most affordable” EV in its class with over 315 miles range, it’s getting even cheaper.
Earlier this week, Chevy launched new deals on the 2024 Equinox and Blazer EV models. According to a note sent to dealers, viewed by CarsDirect, the electric SUVs are now available with 0% APR financing for 60 months. You can also choose from 0.9% AP for 72 months and 2.9% APR for 84 months.
This marks the best financing offer on Chevy’s newest EVs to date. The previous best rates were 0.9% APR for 60 months, 3.9% for 72 months, and 5.9% for the longer 84-month option.
On a 7-year $45,000 loan, online auto research firm CarsDirect estimates the new deals amount to around a $5,200 price cut. The lower APR rates are already offered on the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup.
In addition, Chevy is offering a trade-in bonus of up to $3,000 on the Silverado EV and $1,000 on the electric Equinox and Blazer models. If you choose to lease, the bonus is cut in half: $1,500 for the Silverado and $500 for the electric SUVs.
Chevy’s new EV deals started on January 14 and run through March 3, 2025. The deals come as rivals like Hyundai and Ford recently launched new EV promotions.
On Thursday, Hyundai launched a new promo on the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which includes monthly leases as low as $199 and a free ChargePoint home EV charger (or $400 charging credit). Meanwhile, Ford extended its “Power Promise” program earlier this month, which also includes a free home charger, among several other benefits.
The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV started at $41,900 with up to 315 miles range. Prices for the electric Chevy Blazer start at $43,690 with up to 279 miles range.
If you are ready to try out Chevy’s new electric SUVs for yourself, we’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to view offers on the Chevy Equinox, Silverado, and Blazer EV models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss non-Tesla EVs getting Supercharger access, Cybertruck sales in the spotlight, Rivian getting some money from Biden, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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