SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The typical car is ubiquitous on the streets and highways of world. They're boxy, made with heavy steel and more than likely run on gasoline.
It’s been more or less the same design for 100 years.
So when you compare Chris Anthony’s idea of what the vehicle of the future looks like, you might be surprised that it looks nothing like what’s on the road today. It looks more like it belongs in outer space.
"The automotive industry is stubborn, and vehicles are designed as an evolution of the horse and buggy," says Anthony, the CEO of Aptera Motors in Carlsbad
"This vehicle," Anthony said, referencing their alpha version, "Is 10 times more aerodynamic than pretty much any other sedan or SUV on the road."
The company set out to build the most efficient vehicle on the road and they believe they have it.
The Aptera, which is technically classified as a motorcycle, though driving in it feels like a zippy EV.
In tests, Anthony says it’s topped out at 110 miles per hour and can go 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. It’s electric battery can get you 1,000 miles on a full charge.
But what makes the Aptera really stand out are the solar panels, which they say could charge it enough to go 40 miles, after say, leaving it in a sunny parking lot at work.
"We've gotten it down to 355 miles per gallon equivalent, which in Evie terms is about 100 Watt hours per mile." said Anthony. "It's four times as efficient as any other Evie on the road and 10 times as efficient as your typical gasoline vehicle."
Priced at a little under $26,000, Anthony says there’s plenty of interest in the Aptera.
He says there’s already over 17,000 pre-orders. The company is hoping to hand over the keys to their first driver by the end of the year. With many sick of high gas prices and earth conscious drivers switching to EVs, the future very much seems to be electric.
A local company, using California’s most famous export to change the way people get around.
"We think that the AV industry should be smarter engineering," said Anthony. "Lighter weight, more efficient, do more with the materials and energy use."
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