Aptera pushes SEV deliveries as it seeks additional funding, timelines remain ‘moving target’
While Aptera Motors continues to push forward with its production-intent (PI), solar EV builds ahead of production plans (hopefully) next year, and its timeline for initial customer deliveries is as cloudy as ever. The SEV startup quietly updated the estimated delivery timelines for all reservation holders, giving us an idea of where it stands in terms of scaled production. However, in speaking with Aptera, a lot of these numbers (for better or worse) depend on vital funding that has yet to be secured – a common theme in the startup world.
Aptera Motors is the last of the living solar EV startups and one we’ve followed closely for several years because its unique approach to sustainable mobility has the potential to one day reimagine and elevate the entire automotive industry.
To get there is no small feat, and Aptera Motors is already on its second life in reaching the holy grail of scaled solar EV production. Through our coverage and consistent, transparent updates from Aptera Motors directly, we’ve learned just how much progress the startup has made in the last few years and, conversely, just how much further it will need to go to prove viable.
As it is with any startup, the biggest hindrance to quick development has been funding. For a long while, Aptera leaned on its loyal base of fans and reservation holders, who invested their own money for a chance at one of the first 2,000 Launch Edition solar EV deliveries. The company ended up raising an inspiring $135 million from over 17,000 investors – the most successful crowdfunded raise in history.
While that funding has helped keep Aptera going, entering pre-production body in carbon (BinC) builds ahead of production-intent testing, it will still need more money to get Launch Edition deliveries to those loyal investors and beyond. To help this need, Aptera Motors announced a partnership with US Capital Global this past July, which is helping raise an additional $60 million in capital.
However, three months in, that desired total has not been achieved. Furthermore, that round of funding is a mere stepping stone to low-volume production, and more funding will be required to scale (see graphic below). With so many unknowns surrounding future funding, Aptera has amended its estimated deliveries while it sorts out its financial future.
Aptera deliveries are limited in 2025, 2026 numbers TBD
We first caught wind of the revised timelines for SEV deliveries from the Aptera Owners’ Club Discord page. Many users who are investors in the Aptera Accelerator Program were reporting the timelines listed on their accounts have changed from the first half of 2025 to 2026.
I myself am a reservation holder but not an Accelerator, and my reservation changed from 2026 to “TBA.” However, a lucky few who invested big bucks during the crowdfunding campaign are still secured for deliveries before the end of 2025. However, following the threads on Discord and comparing those numbers to previous Aptera statements and estimates in its US Capital Global investor deck, the delivery numbers get quite jumbled.
Chris McCammon, Aptera’s Head of Content, was present on the Discord page and estimated Aptera is targeting 60 Launch Edition builds that will see deliveries to customers in 2025. That means only the top 60 Accelerators will receive their Launch Edition SEV next year. The other 1,940 Accelerators will have to wait until 2026 at the earliest.
We reached out to Aptera directly for more insight, and its team was able to confirm that 60 customer builds are the target for 2025 but that low-volume production, as well as the scaled production to follow, will rely heavily on the $60 million US Capital raise as well as further funding rounds thereafter. Per a representative for Aptera:
At this point, our primary focus is securing the necessary financing to ensure we remain on track with our production schedule. As previously mentioned, we are actively pursuing $60 million in funding, which we aim to complete in multiple transactions over the next 3-6 months. This funding is critical for advancing to low-volume production, and once secured, we expect to enter production within 9-12 months.
Chris (McCammon’s) estimate of 60 Launch Edition Accelerator deliveries in 2025 aligns with our goal for the initial low-volume production. However, the total number for the year is dependent on securing the $60 million in funding and therefore, will be a moving target.
While some reservation holders may be disheartened by the news of having to wait longer for Aptera deliveries, the latest update to reservation pages shouldn’t really come as a surprise based on what we already knew following the US Capital Global announcement. Even back in July, we warned reservation holders that 2026 would likely be the earliest they would see any substantial SEV deliveries, and that was when Aptera was predicting to build 371 units in 2025. That number is probably closer to 100 now.
There should be no cause for alarm based on the revised delivery timelines. Aptera is continuing to make progress through production intent builds and could still scale fairly quickly in 2026 and beyond. What is worrisome is that low-volume production and those scaled SEV builds in 2026 and beyond will rely on a hefty influx of funding. We asked Aptera about that progress and about its long-teased IPO. Per a representative for the company:
Looking ahead, we aim to ramp up production through 2026, though the scale of this ramp-up will largely depend on when we secure the current $60 million target. Our ultimate goal of producing 20,000 vehicles annually will require approximately $195 million in additional capital, which we plan to raise through a combination of financing strategies, including equity, debt, and potentially an IPO, as you mentioned.
Aptera Motors fights on, and we’re rooting for them, but the biggest beast to overcome in its startup saga has always been and continues to be its need for substantial funding. Completing the $60 million investment round that is currently ongoing will be a major milestone, but the approximate $195 million required after that to deliver more than 60-ish targeted SEV deliveries shows just how much of an uphill battle Aptera continues to face in scaling its technology.
Hopefully, it can harness all that sun’s power and reach the promised land for the sake of the environment and cool-ass EVs. As always, you can reserve an Aptera for only $70; you just may be waiting a while for a delivery.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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