Aptera begins testing the first production prototype of a three-wheeled vehicle

Final prices for the innovative electric vehicle have not yet been announced.

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

Building any type of car isn’t easy, and building a car from the ground up that’s unlike any other electric car on the market is especially challenging. US startup Aptera Motors has been working on an intriguing all-electric three-wheeler for over four years now and recently took a major step towards making it a reality.

The startup announced that its first production prototype has completed its first low-speed validation. Although this drive was only completed in a parking lot and the car barely exceeded walking speed, Aptera says the car uses almost entirely production-specific parts that will be used in vehicles delivered to customers. This is a big change from simply using throwaway prototype parts.

Read: Aptera Launch Edition Unveiled with Solar Panels and 400 Mile Range

Aptera’s next step is to test the car at higher speeds. This can be achieved thanks to the installed sleek exterior bodywork, as well as the clever solar roof.

When Aptera first announced it a few years ago, it said it would use in-wheel motors. However, in July the company announced that it had changed plans and would instead use an integrated high-voltage drive motor from Vitesco Technologies. This motor setup is used in more than 20 electric vehicles currently on the market, and Aptera says it will allow it to begin delivering the three-wheeler to customers in 2025.

Aptera has not yet revealed how much power this motor will produce. What we do know is that its flagship vehicle, known as the Launch Edition, promises a range of up to 400 miles (644 km) on a single charge. Using solar panels will also increase the charging range to 40 miles (64 km) per day.

Underneath the slippery skin of the Aptera three-wheeler will be a 42 kWh battery pack. The company initially said it would offer 25, 40, 60 and even 100 kWh packages for the car, but it appears that is no longer the case. Aptera then claimed that models equipped with the 100 kWh engine should have a range in excess of 1,000 miles (1,600 km).

Final prices have not been confirmed, but Aptera says the three-wheeler has received nearly 50,000 pre-orders.