Aptera Motors said its solar-powered vehicle exceeded 40 miles of daily range in three consecutive days of testing conducted by TÜV Rheinland in July at the company’s facility in Carlsbad, California.
The tests, witnessed by the German certification body, measured energy generation under different solar exposure scenarios. In the most efficient setup—where the vehicle’s rear hatch was angled toward the sun throughout the day—the system delivered 4.75 kilowatt-hours of usable solar energy to the battery, translating to approximately 47 miles of range based on Aptera’s targeted efficiency of 100 watt-hours per mile.
A fixed-position test with a closed hatch produced 4.23 kWh, or about 42 miles, while a scenario with a single repositioning at solar noon generated 4.40 kWh, roughly 44 miles. Each test day exceeded 4 kWh of solar energy delivered after accounting for conversion losses.
Steve Fambro, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Aptera, said the results validated the company’s solar architecture, which includes compound-curved panels, a multi-channel solar charge controller, and integrated power distribution. The vehicle can also be charged via standard outlets or charging stations.
TÜV Rheinland conducted the tests as an on-site witnessing service and did not issue official certification or compliance verification for the vehicle or its solar system.
