Aptera joins forces with C.P.C. Group to accelerate solar EV production

In November 2022, solar electric vehicle (sEV) manufacturer Aptera (Carlsbad, Calif., U.S.) signed an agreement with the C.P.C. Group (Modena, Italy) to produce its specialized composite bodies in Modena in the heart of the Italian Motor Valley, where supercars and motorcycles have been manufactured with passion for decades.

C.P.C. will be supplying materials and structures for Aptera’s consumer-focused sEV BinC, which stands for “Body in Carbon.” It will require no charging for most daily use and boasts a range of up to 1,000 miles per full charge. In keeping with Aptera’s ethos of simplicity, safety and sustainability, the BinC is composed of only six main parts, giving it an ultralow CO₂ lifecycle. The majority of the vehicle is made of carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CF-SMC), combined with glass SMC.

CF-SMC is a lightweight material consisting of a random arrangement of short fibers that make it possible to mold intricately shaped parts. It is reported to offer much higher stiffness and strength than standard SMC. Because it can be press-molded, this process substantially reduces manufacturing time for the BinC and will enable Aptera to begin delivering vehicles to customers more quickly.

“Aptera represents a shift away from conventional thinking of the past,” Franco Iorio, CEO of C.P.C., says. “We desire to be a part of this future, which is why we’re joining Aptera’s movement. We’ll be building the bodies for their solar vehicle, allowing Aptera to scale up manufacturing right away to meet the high demand for its first vehicle.”  

C.P.C. Group was founded in 1959 as a small artisan company manufacturing models solely made by the expert hand of the model maker. After switching from aluminum to composites, during the last decade C.P.C. has established a reputation as a renowned company for specialized composite solutions in automotive. Customers include Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Maserati, BMW, Lotus and more.  

With more than 37,000 reservations, Aptera aims to begin deliveries in 2023 and ramp up to a full-scale production rate of 40 vehicles per day at its final assembly location in Carlsbad, Calif., U.S. The company announced the Launch Edition in January 2023, the first series of more than 40,000 orders for a fleet of ultraefficient vehicles.