Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In sunny Carlsbad, California, a startup called Aptera is nearing the finish line on a solar-powered EV nearly 20 years in the making.
*Plenty of businesses don't ever bounce back. Here's how these ones did:* clickhubspot.com/i3qr
Its three-wheeled electric vehicle is engineered to be so efficient that, for many daily trips, the company says drivers may not need to plug in at all. Solar-powered cars have been promised for decades, but most collapsed under the weight of physics, cost, and consumer skepticism, raising a simple question: Why would this one be any different? The answer traces back to 2006 – through a company shutdown and founders who were pushed out before fighting their way back. Now, this may be Aptera’s last real shot at turning an ambitious idea into a viable product. The Hustle’s Noelle Medina gets behind the wheel and goes inside Aptera’s factory to investigate the company’s final push toward production. With 50k preorders and a cooling EV market, Aptera’s comeback has little room for error.
0:00 Meeting the strangest‑looking EV
1:03 Can a solar car really work?
3:37 How Aptera turns sunlight into “meaningful” miles
4:33 Aerodynamics and NASA‑level efficiency
6:25 Rise, fall, and reboot of Aptera
8:11 From prototype to validation: inside the factory
10:42 Can they actually deliver cars to real customers?
11:21 Who buys this thing? Target customers and use cases
13:38 A crowded EV market and startup risks
14:40 Money, milestones, and the vision for self‑powered EVs
Get the 5-minute newsletter keeping 2M+ innovators in the loop: thehustle.co/join-free-2
In sunny Carlsbad, California, a startup called Aptera is nearing the finish line on a solar-powered EV nearly 20 years in the making.
*Plenty of businesses don't ever bounce back. Here's how these ones did:* clickhubspot.com/i3qr
Its three-wheeled electric vehicle is engineered to be so efficient that, for many daily trips, the company says drivers may not need to plug in at all. Solar-powered cars have been promised for decades, but most collapsed under the weight of physics, cost, and consumer skepticism, raising a simple question: Why would this one be any different? The answer traces back to 2006 – through a company shutdown and founders who were pushed out before fighting their way back. Now, this may be Aptera’s last real shot at turning an ambitious idea into a viable product. The Hustle’s Noelle Medina gets behind the wheel and goes inside Aptera’s factory to investigate the company’s final push toward production. With 50k preorders and a cooling EV market, Aptera’s comeback has little room for error.
0:00 Meeting the strangest‑looking EV
1:03 Can a solar car really work?
3:37 How Aptera turns sunlight into “meaningful” miles
4:33 Aerodynamics and NASA‑level efficiency
6:25 Rise, fall, and reboot of Aptera
8:11 From prototype to validation: inside the factory
10:42 Can they actually deliver cars to real customers?
11:21 Who buys this thing? Target customers and use cases
13:38 A crowded EV market and startup risks
14:40 Money, milestones, and the vision for self‑powered EVs
Get the 5-minute newsletter keeping 2M+ innovators in the loop: thehustle.co/join-free-2
