At first glance, the Aptera looks like the typical sci-fi concept car that gets paraded at car expos by the likes of Mercedes and BMW. But the design is the result of relentless optimization to make the most efficient EV possible. It came down to improving three elements: shape, weight, and charging features.
The shape is inspired by how sharks and other fish reshape their bodies when swimming close to the ocean floor to reduce their drag and conserve energy. After testing it in NASA’s wind tunnels, the Aptera turned out to have less drag than one side-view mirror on a pickup truck (according to the company). The EV also weighs 65% less because of the switch to carbon fibre materials and removing one of the wheels. And finally, the exterior is covered in solar panels that can recharge up to 40mi/60km per day.
I’m a big fan of the “less is more” approach here. It’s definitely not the perfect vehicle for every use case, but I can see this becoming an ideal commuter vehicle. Hopefully they can go from prototypes to large-scale production successfully and not run out of money. Apparently, they plan on making their first deliveries in the next few months.