When I came across the Aptera, I was immediately fascinated.
The vehicle looked like a futuristic spaceship equipped with solar cells.
The more I researched, the more curious I became.
Why had no one ever designed such a vehicle before?
Why hadn't any manufacturer (except Sion) thought of incorporating solar energy into their vehicles on a large scale?
The reason
Unfortunately, the answer is all too familiar. The automotive industry is reluctant to take risks and deviate from conventional designs.
Vehicles are predominantly produced with inefficient aerodynamics, resulting in abysmal fuel efficiency.
Until Aptera came along, no one had dared to think outside the box.
While an SUV averages 9.8 L/100km (kilometres per litre), Aptera gets an incredible 146 km/L (kilometres per litre equivalent).
This is due to its sleek design with a low drag coefficient of just 0.13, which explains why it stands out so clearly from everything else on the road.
The powertrain, battery and lightweight carbon fibre body structure complement the Aptera's efficient shape.
It's also equipped with 700-watt solar panels that allow it to charge up to 64 kilometres per day.
Why we've never seen a solar vehicle before
The reason we've never seen a solar-powered car is that no vehicle has been efficient enough to make a significant difference in daily range with solar power.
If the popular Ford F150 was equipped with solar cells that produced about 700 watts of power, it would only have 3.2 kilometres more range per day. This illustrates the huge impact that efficiency has on everything else.
The Aptera is 14 times more efficient than an F150 and 3 times more efficient than a Tesla Model S. According to the manufacturer's calculations, an Aptera could drive 14 times further if it had the same energy consumption as an SUV. But these are not all the advantages. Because the Aptera runs on electricity and not petrol, owners save even more money. And thanks to the long range provided by the sun, drivers in sunny areas save even more.
Efficiency is not only about protecting the environment, but also about significant cost savings.
This makes Aptera one of the cheapest means of transport in the world.
About the Author
Vor über 30 Jahren haben wir die erste Solar PV-Anlage auf dem Dach montiert.
Später kam der Kewet Eljet 4 als erstes Elektrofahrzeug hinzu. Damals träumte man noch von Rekuperation. 
Heute (2022) sind auf der Firma alle Dächer mit PV-Modulen belegt, eine 100 kWh Batterie trägt die 3D-Drucker und die EDV durch die Nacht.
Wir stellten im Jahr 2022 in der Summe mehr Strom her, als unsere Unternehmen benötigen.
Daher stehen auf auf dem Firmenparkplatz 12 Ladesäulen. 10 eigene und 2 öffentliche (die Katze (meine Frau) mitfinanziert hat. Alle Firmenfahrzeuge sind elektrisch.
Konsequenz der effizienten Fortbewegung: Wir müssen den Aptera nach Deutschland bekommen.