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The solar car of the future is beginning to take shape, in the form of an all-electric three-wheeled vehicle from the US startup Aptera. Technically it’s an autocycle, but solar car fits just as well, considering the 700 watts worth of solar cells integrated into the vehicle’s body.
One Step Closer To The Solar Car Of The Future
CleanTechnica has been following Aptera’s long, on-again off-again solar car journey step by step. The latest step is a significant one, providing another indication that the automaker is on track for production (see plenty more solarized EV background here).
Earlier today, Aptera announced that it has picked the US branch of the Chinese flat panel maker Tianma to supply the main touchscreen for its first solar car, the Aptera Launch Edition.
The display is described as a “12.8-inch Full-HD ultra-wide viewing angle a-Si TFT-LCD module, with normal-black SFT and wide color gamut technologies.”
“The module features a wide operation temperature range (-30 deg C to 80 deg C / -22 deg F to 176 deg F), with 980 nits luminance (typ.) and a 1400:1 contrast ratio. The capacitive touch panel (CTP) surface features anti-glare and anti-fingerprint treatment”
Personally, I’m a fan of manual buttons, knobs, dials, and levers. However, a futuristic solar car with a Buck Rogers dashboard is probably not going to go over well with Aptera’s target market.
“Our pioneering solar electric vehicle embodies the next step in energy-efficient mobility,” Aptera co-founder and co-CEO Steve Fambro explained in a press statement.
“We turned to Tianma – the #1 supplier of automotive displays – for the cutting-edge display solution with high-luminance and energy efficiency that we needed,” he elaborated.
Energy Efficiency & The Solar Car Of The Future
Energy efficiency is the key to Aptera’s business model, which rests on squeezing the most juice possible out of vehicle-embedded solar panels. After all, solar panels cost money. If free electricity from the sun doesn’t balance out the added cost, prospective EV buyers may look elsewhere for a zero emission ride.
The PV cost challenge has tripped up other startups with solar car aspirations. Sono Motors and Lightyear come to mind, but they were attempting to give conventional four-wheelers a go. Aptera is banking that the autocycle platform will give it an edge.
“Aptera’s unique shape allows it to slip through the air using far less energy than other electric and hybrid vehicles today,” the company states, observing that “Aptera’s vehicle is equipped with 700 watts of integrated solar cells, which is expected to allow most drivers to enjoy daily use without ever needing to plug in to charge.”
“The vehicle features up to 40 miles of solar-powered driving per day and the ability to travel up to 400 miles on a single charge,” Aptera adds, which draws attention to the fact that many drivers in the US add far less than 40 miles a day to their odometer. The yearly average among all age groups worked out to about 37 miles per day as of 2022, according to statistics from the Federal Highway Administration.
The energy efficiency angle also dovetails with Tianma’s statement of green principles. The company aims to integrate cradle-to-grave sustainability into its business model, including product design, production, and use, on up to disposal in one form or another.
Aptera Aims For Supplier Star Power
The deal with Tianma is no small potatoes. Tianma America describes itself as “the leading provider of small- to medium-size display solutions to the Americas market.” The company lists automotive cockpit and rear seat entertainment devices, smartphones, tablet PCs, industrial and medical instrumentation, wearables, home automation, household appliances, and office equipment among its areas of focus.
“Additional applications include test and measurement systems, instrumentation equipment, point-of-sale and ATM systems, gaming systems, global positioning systems, radio-frequency identification devices and barcode scanners,” Tianma adds for good measure.
Tianma America also touts its “network of best-in-class distributors and value-added partners,” which translates into a high profile seal of approval for Aptera’s solar car.
The deal follows close behind Aptera’s new relationship with another A-list supplier, LG Energy Solutions. Earlier this month Aptera tapped LG as its exclusive EV battery supplier, deploying LG’s2170 cylindrical EV battery cells.
“The deal with LG is a seven-year commitment, indicating that LG expects a successful experience when the new electric vehicle goes into production later this year,” CleanTechnica noted on January 10. The battery module and pack manufacturer CTNS is also included in the arrangement.
Watch Out, A Solar Car Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels
Aptera has struggled to bring its solar car vision to the open road in previous years, so it’s somewhat ironic to find the company building up a full head of steam just after the US voting public decided that the President of the United States should be someone who openly takes money from fossil energy stakeholders in exchange for favorable treatment.
Nevertheless, even as the Commander-in-chief aims to roll back federal support for electric vehicle manufacturers, momentum is building for zero emission mobility devices that enable drivers to consume less gasoline and, for that matter, less kilowatts.
As Aptera emphasizes, the solar car fits the daily driving habits of US drivers who fall around the average or below. If all goes according to plan, Aptera will leverage the growing market for autocycles to motivate interest among drivers where solar conditions enable them to harvest most if not all of their daily energy needs for free, from the sun.
Other EV stakeholders are also eager to tap into the fuel-for-free mindset. The California TELO, for example, just announced a hookup with Aptera to solarize its MT1 mini electric pickup truck.
Another interesting development to keep an eye on is the Canadian firm Worksport, which is marketing solar panels on tonneau covers, with or without energy storage for a microgrid-on-the-go effect. The company’s bed toppers are compatible with conventional gas-powered pickup trucks as well as EVs.
“Pickup truck drivers are beginning to deploy solar panels on their cab roofs and truck beds, and they’re not just for electric trucks. They can power electric tools and accessories on an ICE truck, too,” CleanTechnica noted in August.
Rivian fans, take note: Last October Worksport announced plans to introduce solarized tonneau covers for the R1T.
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Photo (cropped): The new solar car from the US EV startup Aptera is on track for production, with a display screen from the leading flat panel manufacturer Tianma (courtesy of Aptera).
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