Aptera Motors will showcase its solar EV at CES 2025

A near-production model of a solar-powered car will be on display at CES 2025.

Aptera Motors has announced that a “production intent” version of its eponymous solar-powered vehicle will be on display at the massive Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas.

According to the company, the Aptera offers up to 40 miles of solar-powered driving per day, a futuristic three-wheel design, unmatched energy efficiency and the option to plug in for up to 400 miles on a single charge in one hour.

“The announcement of a production-purpose model means Aptera has a vehicle that must meet regulatory requirements and be at a level where the design is viable for production, heat performance, safety and manufacturing requirements,” said Rob Enderle, president and chief analyst at Enderle GroupAn advisory services firm in Bend, Ore., told TechNewsWorld

“Aptera is viewed with great interest by many in the automotive industry,” added Edward Sanchez, a senior analyst in the automotive practice. TechInsightsA global technology intelligence agency.

“It’s a radical departure from most mainstream cars,” he told TechNewsWorld. “There’s a big question of demand and mainstream appeal for such an unconventional design.”

“The company is also using some manufacturing techniques that have, until this point, been used mainly in the supercar and motorsport industries,” he continued.

“The company is aiming for a competitive price point for its vehicle, so it will be interesting to see how these particular techniques and materials measure up to being a semi-mass-market vehicle – from a volume perspective – and if the company maintains competitive operating margins over the long term. can keep.”

Demo under scrutiny

Mark N. Vena, President and Chief Analyst SmartTech ResearchA consulting and research firm in Las Vegas, maintains that scrutiny around Aptera’s demo will be incredibly high. “The launch of a production-purpose vehicle signals that the Aptera is transitioning into a model ready for mass production, an important milestone in its development,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“This move demonstrates the company’s confidence in the vehicle’s design, performance and manufacturability in alignment with industry standards and regulatory requirements,” he continued. “It helps build consumer and investor confidence by demonstrating a real product close to market readiness, setting the stage for final testing, production scaling and final delivery. I’m not optimistic.”

However, that lack of optimism doesn’t seem to be shared by early adopters who have spent US$1.7 billion to pre-order 50,000 units of the car.

“CES is the perfect stage to unveil the future of sustainable transportation,” Aptera co-CEO Chris Anthony said in a statement.

“Our production-purpose vehicle is not only a testament to years of innovation and engineering but also a real solution to reducing carbon emissions and redefining how we think about energy-efficient mobility. We’re excited to show the world that Aptera is ready to hit the road and deliver a cleaner, more sustainable future.”

Securing that future, however, requires some significant challenges to be overcome. “Typically, cars don’t have enough surface area for current solar panel technology to do more than just run HVAC to keep the car cool,” explains Enderle. “Recharging the huge batteries in most EVs takes days to weeks to recharge using panels in a car.”

power problem

Ben Ziantara, a solar policy and industry expert Solar ReviewA review and advice website, claims that there is no way to get the kind of cars people want to drive with solar cells embedded in the car’s surface.

“Even the most efficient solar cells can provide only a few miles of extra range per day, even if parked in the sunniest spot in the sunniest state,” he told TechNewsWorld. “The average electric car can get about 3.5 miles of range with one kilowatt-hour of electricity. A car with solar cells can generate three to four kilowatt hours per day, enough to drive 10 to 14 miles per day on solar power alone.”

He noted that past attempts at solar-powered EVs, both Sono Sion and Lightyear One, had solar cells that reached about 1.2 kilowatts of power under the full sun. “This means that the car needs to be thoroughly cleaned and parked for a few hours in an ideal location on a very sunny day to get a maximum range of 14 miles per day,” he said.

“I don’t see a huge opportunity unless we see meaningful advances and spending with technology that will enable them to compete with current vehicles, including electric vehicles and internal combustion engines,” added Seth Goldstein, an equity strategist. and chairman of the Chicago-based Committee on Electric Vehicles Morningstar Research Services.

He explained that Aptera is aiming for an all-solar range of 40 miles, after which the car becomes an electric car with a battery. “I don’t see consumers being willing to pay extra for 40 miles of solar-powered driving.”

Ambiguity of solar power

Even with the surface-to-electricity problem resolved, solar power has other ambiguities. “Vehicles are subject to weather conditions, falling leaves, bird droppings and other debris that degrade the power output from solar cells,” noted Giantara.

He added that it is almost impossible to perfectly orient the solar cells on the surface of a car towards the sun. “To get the most out of solar cells, they must be angled exactly perpendicular to the incoming sunlight,” he explained. “A car has many, many different surfaces, all of which are angled in different directions. If you maximize the orientation of one surface, the others are not pointed directly at the sun.”

Then there is the problem of the movement of the sun in the sky. “Even if you can point one or more faces of a car directly at the sun, they won’t stay that way for very long,” Zintara noted. “And the sun varies throughout the year, shining more directly in the Northern Hemisphere in the summer and much less directly in the winter. So the solar cells on the car’s surface will generate more power in the summer and less in the winter, regardless of the weather.”

Solar-powered vehicles may find a place in the niche market. “Solar-powered vehicles are potentially substantial in use cases where extended travel to sunny areas can maximize energy production, such as rural or remote areas with limited access to charging infrastructure,” Vena said. “They are suitable for low-speed, short-distance transportation, such as delivery services, campus shuttles, or recreational vehicles, where energy demands are low.”

“Solar-powered vehicles can also serve as backup power sources or sustainable alternatives for off-grid living, contributing to energy independence and reducing carbon footprints,” he added.

“They won’t work for most people,” admits Enderle, “but for those who can, or need to use them to live off the grid or have no viable charging options, they can be a godsend.”