Aptera shares juicy progress update toward solar EV production

Resilient startup Aptera is back with a robust progress update after a busy summer promoting its upcoming solar EV by the same name, ahead of planned production next year. The company has posted not one, but two videos updating its fanbase about its progress, which appears to be coming along quite nicely. Could it be the first to successfully reach scaled solar EV production?

If you follow Electrek, you’re likely no stranger to Aptera Motors. As an early EV startup, Aptera was on our radar a decade ago. Now in its second iteration, the SoCal automaker has returned and inched closer than ever to reaching the holy grail in its nascent yet unproven segment.

We’ve shared its progress nearly every step of the way – from beta models through gamma, garnering state grants along the way. With the debut of its Launch Edition solar EV, Aptera began an accelerator program that prioritizes deliveries to customers committing to an order, in exchange for crowdfunding to obtain the necessary equipment to get production going.

With just over 500 of the 2,000 production slots still available, Aptera continues to bring in the capital it needs to support its Body in Carbon (BinC) assembly process through its current validation phase and beyond. We have grown accustomed monthly updates, many times featuring cofounder and Co-CEO Chris Anthony, but the summer was relatively quiet from the busy startup.

Recently, Aptera has reemerged in the public eye on its preferred medium of YouTube, posting some exciting new updates. Here’s the latest.

Aptera gathers essential equipment for solar EV production

According to Aptera’s latest progress update, it has obtained over 60% of the essential equipment and tools required to manufacture its BinC. This includes stamping dies and post-processing tools (seen above) – some of the most expensive elements of the production process that require the longest lead times to be commissioned and delivered.

With stamping dies in place, Aptera is now continuing solar EV validation by assembling production-intent builds. Over the coming months, the startup will test these vehicles, which will look and perform like the solar EVs that hopefully make their way to customers someday.

The next step will be to complete and validate all six body components into a complete BinC, linking front and rear subframes to the EV’s structural battery pack before entering the vehicle assembly process at Aptera’s new facility near San Diego, California. In addition to the progress update you can view below, Aptera also shared the following video featuring renderings of those assembly lines.

Production intent testing and validation will be followed by rigorous safety and crash testing, following by fine-tuning and optimization to ensure passenger safety going forward. From there, Aptera plans to validate is solar EV manufacturing procedures to streamline the entire process.

No specific update on when production will finally begin, but Aptera appears closer than ever, with plenty of credit to its community of customers/investors that believe in its potential. As previously mentioned, Aptera still has about 540 production slots available for the Launch Edition solar EVs for $10,000 down.

Those who would rather wait for the later models can still reserve an Aptera of their own for only $100 down, $70 if you use the following link. Here’s the full update from Aptera’s chief marketing officer, Sarah Hardwick: