Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that traffic and air pollution have plummeted as cities shut down due to the coronavirus. While there are no silver-linings to the COVID-19 pandemic, our response to this crisis shows that we are capable of abrupt changes when the situation necessitates them. Perhaps we can even reverse climate change. A key factor in bringing this change will be altering the way we commute. One company, Aptera Motors, is trying to make this happen with solar-charged electric vehicles.
Aptera Solar-Charging Electric Vehicle in Use
For the amount of carbon they emit, gas cars are an inefficient way to get where you need to go every day. Along the same lines, current electric vehicles (EVs) are not efficient enough. Aptera Motors, however, has created a car with a 1,000+ mile battery range. The EV can also travel 40+ miles per day on power from its integrated solar panels. That’s more than the average person drives in their work commute each day. Can you imagine driving to and from work only using the power of the sun? Can you imagine the money you could save from never needing to fill up your gas tank?
This solar-charged electric vehicle has a unique design ethos. Because the company is mindful of the high economic and environmental cost we pay for transportation, it puts a lot of thought into the fundamental design criteria for their vehicles. So, instead of designing their cars for style or lifestyle aesthetic, the Aptera’s design emphasizes efficiency and safety.
The Aptera uses superior aerospace quality composites for safety and weight savings. It also features advanced aerodynamics for low-drag performance. These two features, plus an extremely efficient powertrain and a low rolling-resistance design, make the Aptera the most dynamic vehicle available today. It is also one of the safest. So, when you’re rolling around in your new EV, you’ll be happy with the knowledge that you are driving a car that is safe for the environment and you.
Aptera Solar-Charging Electric Vehicle Design
Speaking of safety, the Aptera has a passenger safety cell stronger than that of any vehicle on the road today. Its aerospace composites assure that. So even if you get into an accident with your Aptera, the strong passenger cell will leave you unscathed. That’s not something you’d typically associate with an eco-friendly car, but there it is.
Aptera Motors estimates that each Aptera owner could reduce their carbon footprint by over 14,000 pounds of CO2 per year. This is a huge savings that could provide the budge our planet needs to reduce global vehicle emissions and halt climate change. We all know that driving our cars has consequences environment. Aptera cars could make our transportation guilt-free. That’s something everyone can get behind.
Aptera Solar-Charging Electric Vehicle Founders
What’s another great reason to buy an Aptera? It’s affordable. This electric vehicle has only ten essential structural parts, while most EVs have over 300. It uses fewer materials and batteries. This means the company can produce it relatively cheaply. Aptera Motors says that its initial target price is between $34K-$59K. That’s in the price range of the typical SUV. However, since the car has not been produced yet, these are projected figures.
These solar-charged electric vehicles are the first Never Charge EVs. That’s because most drivers will be able to drive the cars using just its solar energy system. The vehicles have unparalleled efficiency and use just under 100Wh per mile for everyday driving. The vehicles boast 1,000+miles of range. Aptera cars also feature an advanced CoPilot, which is the company’s autopilot system. This system was developed with a large Japanese OEM. This means the Aptera will quickly be able to compete with other autonomous -driving cars like Tesla, BMW, and Audi. An eco-friendly vehicle that can compete with such high-end brands? It sounds very interesting to us.
We love that these solar-charged electric vehicles keep the environment and safety at the forefront of their designs. It’s a refreshing change, and one that we hope will see fruition. Also significant is the fact that these EVs will practically never need to a charge since most trips can rely on power generated by solar technology.
Aptera Solar-Charging Electric Vehicle Interiors
While the $34k-$59k price point is affordable, it would be great if the company could make the cars even more cost-effective, say in the $15K-$20K range. That way, most people could afford to lower their carbon footprint. Perhaps with time, the company could produce even cheaper versions of the cars.
You can preorder an Aptera for $34,000 on the company’s official website.