Tesla's Biggest Competition Yet: 1,000-Mile Range, Two-Seater EV

It’s probably not going to win any excellence in design awards, but what the new, and as yet unnamed, electric vehicle (EV) from the new Aptera Motors Inc. lacks in looks, it more than makes-up for in range.

That range is an unheard of 1,000 miles (1,600 km), which is almost three times farther than a Tesla Model S Long Range can travel on a single charge. This energy efficient machine will be the world’s longest-ranged EV when it hits the road two to three years from now.

The new Aptera EV will be an ultra-light weight two-seat, three-wheeled EV designed for long-range driving. It’s also got a lower drag coefficient than any other EV on the market.

It will be powered by three in-wheel motors, each rated at 50 kilowatts (67 hp). The company plans to develop and test a two-motor version with front-wheel drive only to determine how this configuration affects the car's overall efficiency.

The EV will come with a range of battery capacities, from 40 to 100 kWh. It will expend less than 100 Watt-hours per mile. In contrast, the most efficient Tesla Model 3 sold today uses 250 Wh/mi according to EPA ratings.

The original Aptera Motors, founded in 2006 by two buddies in California, was one of the first EV companies in the U.S. It planned to produce high-efficiency hybrid cars back then and did produce the Aptera Typ-1.

Aptera revealed the first prototype vehicle, the Aptera 2 Series, in 2009 but the company shut down in 2011 after failing to receive incentives from the federal government.

The resurrected Aptera Motors reappeared as an EV maker in 2019 and, unlike Tesla and other big name EV makers, is focused on developing more energy efficient EVs. Aptera founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony believe energy efficiency is the overlooked aspect of EVs.

In pursuit of this goal, the new Aptera Motors has rethought every mechanical aspect of its upcoming EVs. It’s also exploiting a decade's worth of advances in computing power, 3D metal printing and an EV supply chain that didn't exist when they first planned to produce the Aptera Typ-1 in 2009.

Aptera Motors held a crowdfunding campaign Wednesday to raise the cash it needs to produce the new EV. The money raised will allow Aptera Motors to build three prototype vehicles for testing by the end of the year. A final design to be revealed to the public sometime in 2020.