Aptera, the company behind a highly efficient electric vehicle capable of charging from the sun, is about to go public, but its approach raises concerns.

Is it the end of another solar car project?

There have been a handful of “solar car” projects and they all have failed so far.

I put “solar car” in quotes because they are essentially small electric vehicles that are so efficient that adding solar panels can contribute relatively significantly to charging the car.

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Aptera is one of the rare survivors, thanks to a couple of relatively successful crowdfunding efforts. The company has been inching closer to bringing its vehicle to production, but it still appears to need some investments to make it happen.

Now, Aptera is going public.

Generally, that’s good news. An initial public offering (IPO) means that a company is going to raise capital for its operations and give more people the opportunity to invest in the company.

However, Aptera is not doing a traditional IPO. It’s not even doing a SPAC deal. It’s doing a direct listing, which means that if approved by NASDAQ, it will allow shareholders to trade their shares on the public market.

This is usually an exit strategy for existing shareholders. Aptera won’t receive any proceeds from going public. They wrote in their SEC filing:

This prospectus relates to the registration of the resale of up to 31,741,948 shares of our non-voting Class B common stock… We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Class B common stock by the registered stockholders.”

What good could come out of this for the company?

As of the end of June 2025, the last reporting date, Aptera had about $13 million in the bank, and it is burning through more than that in a year – meaning it is running out of cash.

The company needs to be infused with capital soon, and this direct listing is not it.

Meanwhile, Aptera stated that the public listing will not occur until at least October 14, next week, to allow shareholders, including those who invested in the crowdfunding rounds, sufficient time to transfer their shares into their broker accounts and trade them.

Electrek’s Take

As I previously disclosed, I invested a small amount in Aptera’s crowdfunding campaign a few years ago. Nothing I wasn’t entirely willing to lose. I knew and consistently stated that the project would be challenging to bring to market.

I invested because I love the project and wanted to help give them a chance to succeed. I not only like the solar aspect, but also the idea of creating a hyper-efficient vehicle that still retains a relatively high level of utility.

But this smells like the end to me. I’d love to hear your take in the comments below, but I don’t see a way out of this for the company.

I guess there’s a possibility that insiders somehow hold, and there’s some public demand for the stock amid this crazy bubble we are in – resulting in a price increase, which Aptera takes advantage of with a public offering. But that sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it?

What other possible scenarios are there except for the obvious one where current shareholders quickly dump their shares, the stock crashes, Aptera can’t raise capital, and closes its door and sell itself for parts?

While solar cars are cool, the most efficient way to power an electric car with solar energy is to have solar panels on your home. If you are in the US, the next few weeks are likely the last opportunity to secure a solar installation and take advantage of the federal tax credit, which is set to expire.

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The new Nissan LEAF hit the streets of the UK for the first time, bringing a fresh crossover SUV-like look, up to 386 miles of driving range, and a host of other upgrades.

Nissan introduces the new LEAF in the UK

Nissan’s electric hatch is back, but you may not recognize it. The LEAF drops its hatchback design for its third generation, adopting a new crossover SUV-like style.

“The all-new LEAF is the embodiment of our DNA here at Nissan: smart, sleek, stylish, and ready for the next generation of EV drivers,” Cliodhna Lyons, Nissan’s VP of product and services planning for the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania) region, said on Thursday.

Nissan announced the new LEAF hit the streets of the UK for the first time as it prepares to open pre-orders. The new LEAF will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK, plant alongside the Qashqai and Juke SUVs.

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The new LEAF will be available with two battery options, 52 kWh and 75 kWh, offering a WTLP range of 271 miles and 386 miles.

According to Nissan, the 75 kWh battery delivers a range of up to 269 miles (WLTP) and energy consumption as low as 4.5 miles/kWh when travelling at 70 mph on the highway.

With DC charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the new LEAF can add 273 miles of range in just 30 minutes. It’s also equipped with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) with up to 3.1 kW output, to power up mobile devices, a camping setup, a work site, and more.

Inside, the new LEAF features dual 14.3″ driver display and infotainment screens. Powered by NissanConnect with Google built-in, drivers have access to Google Maps Car Route Planner, Google Assistant, and more.

The new model offers a suite of advanced safety and driver assistance (ADAS) features, such as Intelligent Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist. Other optional features include 3D Around View Monitor, Invisible Hood View, and Front Wide View.

Nissan will open pre-orders for the new LEAF by the end of 2025, with the first customer deliveries slated for Spring 2026. Prices will be announced soon.

In the US, Nissan said the 2026 LEAF has “the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the US,” priced from just $29,990. It will begin arriving at US dealerships any day now. The 2026 Nissan LEAF offers an EPA-estimated range of up to 303 miles. That’s a big upgrade from the up to 212 miles of range in the outgoing LEAF.

What do you think of the new LEAF? Are you a fan of the crossover look? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Japanese equipment giant Kubota has pulled the wraps off a world’s first. The new, Autonomous Fuel Cell Tractor packs electric drive motors powered by a hydrogen fuel cell — one that can get topped off with hydrogen made from farm waste!

As longtime Electrek readers already know: I’m no fan of hydrogen as a transport fuel, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work in other applications — and one of those is certainly large-scale farming. In that context, Kubota’s latest announcement feels like a natural sequel to the company’s broader push into electrification and intelligent farming tools.

At CES 2025 for example, Kubota showed off a suite of connected, ADAS-equipped commercial machinery with electric drive, including an “Agri Concept” robotic farm tractor and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered genset, intentionally signaling the brand’s transition from an equipment manufacturer to a more holistic (and marketing-driven) “agricultural solution partner.”

Kubota equipment | CES 2025

The company has high hopes for its electric farm equipment, as Japan (like other Western nations) is struggling to attract young people into farming, leading to a continually aging and shrinking workforce and ongoing labor shortage.

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“The concept behind this model is to simultaneously achieve environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and labor saving,” reads the official press copy. “Since only water is discharged during operation, it is environmentally friendly, and is also designed for operation without operators onboard via autonomous driving and remote control.”

You’ve heard all that before. What may be new to you is the notion that hydrogen can be produced locally, by many kinds of farmers, using existing farm inputs that convert biowaste into methane, then reform or electrolyze it into hydrogen. That circular model gives farmers in areas with limited grid access (or a desire to stay off the grid, for their own reasons) a viable way to generate and store energy.

Energy that, unlike the electricity from solar panels, can power modified reciprocating engines like Cummins’ (relatively) new X15 diesel or a number of Volvo Penta engines.

Electrek’s Take

Do any research at all into farming and agriculture as-a-whole and you’ll be shocked by the age of farmers and the age of their equipment, too. The industry is packed with combustion engines, people fearful of big corporations taking their data, and of big governments cutting off their fuel supplies (however ironic that may be). To them, and to the heavy machines that are already too big and heavy to work in rain and mud in some cases, a relatively lightweight, on-site energy solution might be a welcome thing.

You know, until they remember that the sun exists, anyway.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kubota.

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