American Start-up Aptera Motors presented what may be the first solar-powered car to be mass produced in the world. The model, which bears the same name as the company, features a design reminiscent of the Batmobile from the 1960s series.

The Aptera is a compact vehicle, which has only three wheels and about 10 square meters of solar cells. According to the developers, the car is efficient enough to travel around 65km on a sunny, cloudless day.

The initial idea of ​​Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro, founders of Aptera, was not a solar-powered vehicle, but a car that was more efficient. In this respect, trams are more efficient, as they lose, on average, 20% of the energy received, against 72% of vehicles with combustion engines.

The creators say the cart is 13 times more efficient than a gasoline-powered pickup truck and 4 times more powerful than an average electric vehicle. This is because 90% of the energy captured by the solar panels is used for the vehicle to move.

Mass production barriers of Aptera

It is already possible book Aptera units on the company's website for $ 25.900 (about R $ 143.025), but the creators still see some obstacles to their commercial success. The first one is the design, which was thought of in every detail to create a car focused on efficiency.

However, for Anthony and Fambro it remains to be seen whether consumers will want to buy a car that, according to them, looks like “a mixture of a Batmobile with a beetle”. In addition, a first attempt at a similar concept went awry and sent their first company into bankruptcy.

In addition, as the Aptera is a small car, a few solar cells can boost it. But to move a regular-sized vehicle, a truck-sized dashboard would be needed to move a few kilometers.

Street: The Washington Post

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