This three-wheeled electric car claims it never needs charging…
It didn’t take long for the electric car community to tackle the issue of range anxiety, but the stigma associated with lengthy charging times still exists. Now a San Diego startup named Aptera thinks they have the solution, in the form of a three-wheeled electric car called the Paradigm Plus – that they claim never needs charging.
With a range of more than 1,600 km, the Plus has help from above, able to top up via solar power while parked — making the tech on Tesla’s Model S and Model X seem ancient.
Looking like a small road plane with the wings missing — the carbon fibre, kevlar and hemp body is designed with extreme aerodynamics and futuristic LED lights, with no less than 180 solar panels located on its body — similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s solar panel roof. The combination of more than 32 square feet of panels plus the vehicle’s liquid-cooled electric motor gives it impressive stamina on the road. The electric motors can be charged via the 230 volt outlets found in any Aussie house and can run up to 70 km per day on the Sun’s rays.
Forged from featherlight composites, the two seater weighs an even 1,000kg, which helps it hit 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 176 km/h. The slender body also helps it cut through the air with a drag coefficient of just 0.13 compared to the Tesla’s Model 3’s 0.23. You can also design your own custom Aptera or add extras, including lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, and tanning beds. Priced at $46,900 USD, it’s slightly more than the long-range Tesla Model Y at $44,690. But with a year’s supply of sunscreen included — the choice is easy.
By Bill Varetimidis
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