My First Ride in a Solar-Powered EV That Ditches the Plug

At CES 2025, I took a ride in an electric car that you'd almost never have to plug in. Yes, your read that correctly. The Aptera Solar EV is keen to ditch the plug entirely, and it's hardly for the worse. In fact, the manufacturer claims it can harvest up to 40 miles of free range every day from that giant nuclear reactor in the sky: the sun. That's it! That's all it needs to get you where you want to go. As the oddly shaped EV approaches production later this year, I ducked under the wing-like doors of one of its prototypes for an early peek.

Though the Aptera's coolest party trick is its solar power, the first thing you notice is how alien the EV coupe's design is. The automaker designed the three-wheeler to be as aerodynamic and lightweight as ...