As problems over fossil fuels compound, companies are trying alternatives to change how the car industry works and make it greener. While the answer until now seems to have been to replace the gas tank with batteries, a new prototype has been submitted at the CES 2025 in Las Vegas that bypasses gas and charging cables. Created by Aptera Motors, a California startup, this new futuristic creation is a three-wheeled solar-powered concept that might have something to contribute to the overall green energy conversation.
While most people have focused on the fact that it runs on solar panels attached to its body, that is not the only part of the car that is futuristic, it has a very unique aerodynamic shape that contributes to maximizing its efficiency and this making the most of the energy it manages to capture.
The new car of the future, how not having gas or charging cables makes it unique
While many startups have tried to make the new car of the future, Aptera Motors has decided to get a leg up and team up with a company that has a lot of history and can help with testing and knowledge, and that is Italian design firm Pininfarina. Thanks to the company’s history the design is fairly flawless and can compete with more established brands without a problem. Since it was so important for Aptera that the design was one of the most aerodynamic ever, they made and tested the car in one of Europe’s top wind tunnels in Turin.
It seems like the efforts paid off, as although they have not officially shared the drag coefficient of the newest model, older prototypes boasted an impressively low 0.13. This seems to be the key to the car’s success, the slippery design, along with its lightweight structure and three-wheel setup, means the car does not need much power to move and even with a smaller battery, it is capable of delivering real-world performance.
But like with any other non gas powered vehicle, the question remains, how far can you go with it? The Aptera is covered in 700 watts’ worth of solar panels that curve across its body, soaking up sunlight and turning it into power. Just this setup should be able to get you about 40 miles a day. Having said that, a fully charged battery will take you about 400 miles, which is in line with most electric cars nowadays, but the plus side is that since it does not rely fully on the grid, it allows for constant charging as you move.
Other car companies are taking their same example and are also including solar panels in their designs, like Toyota and Mercedes, although we still do not have working prototypes from them.
This is not the first time Aptera tries to break into the industry, they originally launched back in the mid-2000s, but hit a wall in 2011 after failing to land funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, which forced them to shut down, as at the time there was not as much investment in renewable energy and on clean driving, but now they are back, and thanks to their partnership with Pininfarina they have had a chance to make a new vehicle that could truly change the industry.
The question is now if the solar panels will truly be the thing that makes a difference, as they have the exact same issues that those installed on a house, too much sun and they do not produce as much power, too little sun and they do not produce at all. How they choose to fi the issue will determine whether this concept will succeed in the streets.