Aptera Motors recently held its first drive of its production-intent vehicle solar electric vehicle (sEV), which will be used for real-world validation and testing. This vehicle, the first in a series, has been engineered to test Aptera’s production-intent design, production components, and critical performance metrics such as range, solar charging capability, and efficiency, Aptera said.

According to Aptera, the vehicle incorporates its recently-adopted Vitesco Technologies EMR3 drivetrain, the in-board motor solution announced earlier this year. The manufacturer said the initial test drive has validated its proprietary battery pack, which is now functioning with the EMR3 powertrain—a combination being tested in real-world conditions. For the first time, Aptera’s production composite body structure, also known as its Body in Carbon or BinC, is operating its production drivetrain under code developed in-house with power from a proprietary battery pack.

“Driving our first production-intent vehicle marks a big moment in Aptera’s journey,” said Steve Fambro, Aptera’s co-founder & co-CEO. “It demonstrates real progress toward delivering a vehicle that redefines efficiency, sustainability, and energy independence.”

Aptera said its production-intent models will continue to evolve, with additional production parts and functionality integrated and tested over time. As each feature is validated, Aptera said it will continue to test the vehicle’s systems in progressively challenging and high-speed settings, paving the way for a fully tested, validated production vehicle ready for deliveries to the company’s nearly 50,000 pre-order reservation holders.

The next phase of testing for this production-intent vehicle will see the integration of Aptera’s solar technology, production-intent thermal management system, and exterior surfaces, the company said. Once installed, Aptera said its production-intent vehicle will undergo high-speed track testing to validate its general performance characteristics and confirm core efficiency figures, including watt-hours per mile, solar charging rates, and estimated battery range.