Automotive

Aptera is gearing up for the market release of both its Aptera Local and Aptera Everywhere vehicles early next year. The company has drawn high-profile backers including Google alongside a myriad of independent investors that have allowed Aptera Motors to construct a new production-ready manufacturing facility in Vista, CA.

The Aptera Local, as the name suggests, is primarily designed for short-trip driving in or around cities. With an all-electric engine, fueled by a combination of charges and exterior solar panels, the Local should average around 120 miles per charge when driving at 55mph. Charging the car’s integrated battery system is expected to take between two and four hours in the typical home and should cost somewhere in the range of $3 per charge (assuming energy costs remain stagnant).

The Aptera Everywhere, on the other hand, integrates both electric and and gasoline-driven technologies to give the vehicle an estimated 300mpg for a 120 mile trip with a fully-charged battery. The vehicle first utilizes the battery but then defaults to a gasoline system to recharge the battery while driving. On longer trips, the Everywhere is expected to average somewhere around 130mpg - still far better than anything on the road today.

Inside the Aptera, the company has added a number of luxury features as standard including GPS navigation, exterior cameras, a combination CD/DVD/MP3 player, and keyless ignition - making it one of the hottest hybrids on the road.

The car’s interior, while advanced, pales in comparison to its breathtaking exterior that’s sure to catch eyes each and every time it leaves its charger. The Aptera’s slick curves, unmatched aesthetics, and state-of-the-art technologies have quickly infiltrated the wallets of eco-friendly consumers in California as the company began taking pre-orders earlier this year. $500 today will get you a reservation for the car like none other. The Aptera Local is expected to carry a price tag of around $26,900 while the Everywhere comes in just shy of $30,000. Still, if today’s price of gas is any indication, the Aptera’s relatively high price tag could soon become a bargain - and a stylish bargain at that.

For years, the “smart” car has been a staple of European city-living. The tiny cab for two rose to popularity shortly after its joint-venture introduction by both Mercedes-Benz and Swatch, previously known only for their luxury cars and luxury watches, respectively.
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There are two sides to every story - even the story of how America’s gas prices have multiplied in the last decade. While rising gas prices are affecting virtually every aspect of our economy, they may indeed be a very necessary wake-up call that may just be the very recipe that evokes a long overdue push for changing our consumption of everything from fuel to food.

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