If you haven't been keeping up with the news about solar cars, get ready to have your mind blown.
These electric vehicles — which often have solar panels on their hoods or roofs — can sometimes drive for months without needing a recharge. That's because they can derive huge portions of their power from the sun.
TikToker Forrest Jones (@forrestsautoreviews) got his hands on the forthcoming solar car from Aptera Motors, and it looks awesome.
In his 59-second video, Jones details many of the features that make Aptera's design so cool. The car, which Aptera calls "the first production Solar Electric Vehicle," has solar panels built into the hood, dashboard, and roof, along with the option to add more to the back hatch.
@forrestsautoreviews Starting at $25,900! Would you pilot this sun-powered, spaceship car?! 🤔 #viral #future #ev #aptera #cars #carsoftiktok #foryoupage #foryou ♬ Chathom - Ponder
These panels allow the car to travel up to 40 miles a day on free, sun-powered energy.
"Combine that with the fact that you can also charge this like a normal electric car," Forrest says, "and this'll do a maximum of 1,000 miles on a charge."
That long range is partially made possible by the car's lightweight composite body, which Forrest says gives it a drag coefficient of just 0.13. That's less than half of the average drag coefficient of most modern cars, which is about 0.30.
Commenters have been impressed by the three-wheeled vehicle's slick design and impressive capabilities.
"That is a pretty cool car," one says.
"It looks wild but 1,000 miles on a charge means this could actually be good for road trips," writes another.
Though Forrest doesn't mention it in the video, the car's price has generated some buzz, too. Aptera's website says the company's vehicles will sell from $25,900 to $46,000-plus, depending on the model.
"1.000 miles on electric for 25k is amazing," one commenter writes.
"New dream car unlocked," another adds.
Forrest has engaged with commenters as well, answering questions like what the vehicle's top speed is (allegedly 110 miles per hour) and if it's highway legal ("Yep!").
Aptera has already begun taking preorders on its website, and its FAQ page says the company's goal is "to begin production in late 2023."
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