The founders of Aptera, Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro, helped to create the electric vehicle market in 2006 with an idea unlike any other. It was the first to achieve 300 mpg and it got a lot of attention, landing on the cover of dozens of magazines and even appearing in the movie Star Trek. However, funding didn’t exist for EV programs like it does today and Aptera faced challenges. Even with the support of thousands of fans around the globe, the team realized the time was not right for Aptera to fulfill its mission of creating a healthier world and a better way to travel.
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Flash forward: A decade of evolution
So, Chris and Steve went off to start other businesses, innovating in emerging industries such as lithium battery technology and vertical farm production. While the dream of Aptera was quiet, it was not forgotten. Flash forward a decade. EV technology is more advanced, the supply chain is more established, consumer demand is even greater. After Chris sold his company, the two founders met again to talk about how things had evolved. They were surprised that, with all the new EV brands on the market, there was still no company focused solely on efficiency. In fact, the current trend is toward larger and heavier vehicles requiring even more materials, batteries and energy.
Aptera reborn
Recognizing an opportunity, in 2019 our founders reborn Aptera as a solar electric vehicle (sEV) brand. Our goal is to build lightweight and aerodynamic vehicles powered by the sun that are able to handle most daily driving needs completely off the grid. We launched in late 2019 and have 10,000+ reservations from customers in 84+ countries. In addition to our launch series, our future plans include mainstream autonomous capable 6-passenger cars, 2-seat commuters, and utility vehicles up to 18-wheelers.