Using Pininfarina's wind tunnel located in Turin, Aptera has refined its solar EV’s design to achieve one of the lowest drag coefficients of any production passenger vehicle. The Aptera EV is claimed to deliver up to 64km of solar-powered driving a day and has the ability to travel up to 650km on a single charge.
07 Jan 2025 | 4286 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Aptera Motors, a pioneer in solar mobility, will unveil its production-intent solar electric vehicle at CES 2025 (January 7-10), developed with Pininfarina’s aerodynamic expertise. The company’s booth at CES 2025 is located at CP-517 in the Central Plaza of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Aptera’s groundbreaking solar electric vehicle, which requires no ...
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Aptera Motors, a pioneer in solar mobility, will unveil its production-intent solar electric vehicle at CES 2025 (January 7-10), developed with Pininfarina’s aerodynamic expertise. The company’s booth at CES 2025 is located at CP-517 in the Central Plaza of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Aptera’s groundbreaking solar electric vehicle, which requires no charging for most daily use, embodies the next step in energy-efficient mobility. Aptera's partnership with Pininfarina, a leader in design and aerodynamics, has provided valuable insights into achieving the vehicle's revolutionary aerodynamic performance. Using Pininfarina's Wind Tunnel located in Turin, Italy, Aptera has refined its design to achieve one of the lowest drag coefficients of any production passenger vehicle, setting a new standard for energy efficiency in the automotive industry.
“Aptera has truly pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in vehicle design and efficiency,” said Giuseppe Bonollo, SVP Business Unit Mobility at Pininfarina. “We have always made aerodynamics an essential component in design at Pininfarina. We are therefore thrilled to have supported the aerodynamic validation of the Aptera vehicle with truly unique results.”
The Mahindra Group-owned Pininfarina’s collaboration with Aptera began during the initial stages of the company’s aerodynamic design validation and holds great promise for deeper technical contributions as the company approaches production.
At CES 2025, Aptera will showcase its production-intent vehicle to the public for the first time. Equipped with 700 watts of integrated solar cells, most drivers can enjoy daily use without ever needing to plug in to charge. Maxeon Solar Technologies has provided the solar cells that make the automotive-grade, 3D-curved solar panels possible.
According to Aptera Motors, the Aptera EV features up to 40 miles / 64 kilometres of solar-powered driving per day and the ability to travel up to 400 miles / 640km on a single charge.
“We are proud to have played a role in validating Aptera’s aerodynamic design,” said Alessandro Aquili, Head of Wind Tunnel at Pininfarina. “Aptera’s commitment to innovation mirrors our own, and we are excited to support their vision for a future where every journey is powered by the sun. We look forward to expanding our collaboration as Aptera’s production-intent vehicle progresses toward production.”
CES 2025 marks the first public showcase of Aptera’s complete solar array, consisting of four panels strategically placed on the hood, dash, roof and hatch of the vehicle, alongside its production body structure, built from carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CF-SMC). This advanced material dramatically reduces complexity, requiring fewer than one-tenth the parts of traditional vehicles, resulting in a lightweight yet robust design.