Aptera, the innovative EV maker that has started testing its “Never Charge” three-wheeler prototypes in the US, says it has started looking at selling its EVs in Australia and it could be here as soon as 2023.
The Aptera Alpha and Beta started testing on Californian roads in January ahead of production. The futuristic pod-like vehicles resemble something more out of a sci-fi film than any existing car on the road, and are designed to use a little as energy as possible.
This, says Aptera, means that with solar cells integrated into the body they would rarely need charging, if at all. It says that its integrated 700 watts of solar cells can provide up to 70km of driving range a day from the sun alone, and up to 1,600km from its lithium-ion battery for the top-of-the-line option.
Thanks to Aptera’s streamlined aerodynamics which give it a drag coefficient of 0.13, the company says it is capable of acceleration from 0-100km/hr in less than 3.5 seconds with the 150kW motor option, or 5.5 seconds with the 100kW motor.
Its lightweight composite body has seating for two passengers and 25 cubic feet (0.8m2) space in the back for a small grocery shop.
And the ground-breaking Aptera will come to Australia, the company has now confirmed.
Thanks to a tip-off from a reader that has now been confirmed with the company, we can reveal that Aptera is looking at the regulations it would need to comply with to make the vehicle available to drivers in Australia.
A spokesperson for Aptera said: “Our goal is to sell Aptera worldwide wherever possible given local regulations. We’re working through regulations to begin delivering to Australia in 2023; we’re still establishing our production schedule and this could be sooner or later.”
A spokesperson confirmed with The Driven that a local launch could be as early as 2023 or as late as 2024. It can be pre-ordered via the company’s website, which says it will be priced in the US from $US25,900 ($A36,654 converted) for the entry-level variant and $US50,700 ($A71,752 converted) for the top-of-the-line option.
“Our team will reach out to all pre-order reservation holders with a more detailed timeline once we are nearing the start of production and initial U.S. deliveries,” the spokesperson said.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.