Hallelujah! The Aptera 2e in Pre-Production

Despite a 10-month setback, Aptera Motors has finally rolled out the first pre-production, three-wheeled all-electric Aptera 2e, and let me tell you, the world is a better place because of it. Full production is scheduled to start in October 2009 with early sales limited to California, and the company claims to have over 4,000 pre-orders.

The potential cost for this futuristic dynamo makes me a little nervous: it could push $45,000 with options, according to various outlets, including Edmunds and Greentechmedia. The lithium ion battery is the likely culprit, but as technology advances in this field, we could see that price come down—should it go that high at all.

The Aptera 2e defines the future car: it looks like nothing else on the road, so decidedly science fiction that its only counterpart can be found in 1960s cartoons; its gas-per-gallon equivalent (GGE) pushes the unheard-of 200 mpg; the battery offers 100 miles on a charge; and it can go zero-to-60 in about 6 seconds, with a top speed of 90 mph.

A while back I featured the Aptera hybrid here on FutureCars, and none of that early enthusiasm has waned.