Aptera Motors Corp. said it signed a manufacturing agreement valued at up to $44 million with Shanghai-based Launch Design to support production of its solar electric vehicle.
Under the terms, Aptera will cover two-thirds of the program’s costs directly, while the remaining one-third—capped at approximately $15 million—will be settled through warrants for Aptera common stock. The deal covers assembly fixtures, tooling, testing, pilot production and high-volume manufacturing support.
The companies aim to begin building 40 production vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2026 at Aptera’s facility in Carlsbad, California. Launch Design will supply finished subassemblies directly to the facility using its global supply base, which spans multiple production sites and employs more than 3,000 people. The firm has developed over 400 vehicle models for automakers worldwide.
Aptera expects to fund its portion of the program from existing capital, previously announced financing and potential future debt or equity issuance. Additional terms regarding the warrants will be disclosed in a Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Chris Anthony, Aptera’s co-CEO, said the agreement brings proven design-for-manufacturing expertise and a global supply chain to Carlsbad without requiring the company to build those capabilities internally.
