Aptera Motors has completed the first test drive of its production-intent solar electric vehicle (sEV), designed for real-world validation and testing. This vehicle, the first in the series, will evaluate Aptera’s production-ready design, components and key performance metrics such as range, solar charging capabilities and overall efficiency.
The vehicle features the newly adopted Vitesco Technologies EMR3 drivetrain, an in-board motor system introduced earlier this year. During the test drive, Aptera successfully verified its proprietary battery pack working in conjunction with the EMR3 powertrain, confirming the system’s performance in real-world conditions. The vehicle also debuted Aptera’s production-grade composite body structure, known as Body in Carbon (BinC), which works with its in-house-developed control code and proprietary battery technology.
“Driving our first production-intent vehicle is a significant milestone in Aptera’s journey,” said Steve Fambro, co-founder and co-CEO of Aptera. “This represents meaningful progress toward delivering a vehicle that redefines efficiency, sustainability and energy independence.”
Aptera plans to continue to refine its production-intent model by integrating and testing additional components over time. As new features are validated, the company will conduct increasingly rigorous testing, preparing for mass production and delivery to approximately 50,000 pre-order reservation holders.
The next testing phase will include integrating Aptera’s solar technology, thermal management system and production-specific external surfaces. Once these features are installed, the vehicle will undergo high-speed track testing to confirm key performance metrics including energy efficiency (watt-hours per mile), solar charging rate and estimated battery range.
