Aptera debuts new solar EV prototype called Gamma

The discussion on electric vehicles and adoption often turns to infrastructure, where many people bemoan the lack of available, reliable charging in many parts of the country. One company took this challenge and turned it on its head, hoping to provide a vehicle that could provide electric mobility without charging for its owners.

Aptera, a Southern California-based startup, just officially revealed the Gamma generation of its prototype car. On its website, Aptera claims a starting price of $25,900 and 40 miles of range from onboard solar chargers, which for many people could mean zero time spent at a charging station. The company offers a calculator where prospective buyers can determine how many times they’d charge each year, and depending on which solar zone you live in and how far you drive, Aptera’s car could be a game changer.

The Gamma car is the company’s last before it moves to a production-intent prototype, and customer-bound cars will enter production in 2023. Aptera claims to have more than 32,000 reservations, with almost a third coming in the past few months alone. The company will build the car in its new facility in Carlsbad, California.

That said, we’re not talking about a traditional car. Aptera’s prototypes are alien in every sense of the word, and they’d look out of place on any city street. Still, the prospect of a two-seater that rarely requires recharging and provides most of the other benefits people love about EVs is a big draw. Beyond that, the car is no slouch, having beaten a Tesla Model 3 and finished neck-and-neck with an Audi R8 in a short drag race earlier this year.