Aptera said it has secured $40 million in funding to start production of its solar-powered electric vehicle with a range of up to 1,000 miles (about 1,609 km). Production of the car is scheduled to start at the end of this year.

The Aptera SEV has an extremely lightweight three-wheel design and an aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.13. This results in a range of 250 miles (about 402 km) even with a small battery, and with a larger battery, the range increases to 1,000 miles. An additional highlight is the use of solar panels. As a rule, such elements add only a few miles to the mileage of an electric vehicle. But thanks to its high efficiency, the Aptera SEV can generate enough energy in a day of sun exposure to drive about 40 miles (about 64 km). And another attractive aspect of the Aptera electric car is its low cost – from $25,000.

The company has been accepting pre-orders for its electric car for some time. As of last week, over 22,000 pre-orders have already been placed. You can reserve Aptera SEV with a small deposit of just $100.

Source: electrek