Solar electric vehicle start-up Aptera Motors has announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs and is expected to deliver millions in future revenue. However, what may be more exciting is the prospect of future fleet orders as SustainabilitySooner looks to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs.

As one of the few remaining solar EV start-ups left in the world and the closest to reaching scaled vehicle production, Aptera Motors has been pulling out all the stops in recent months to ensure it can deliver its potentially revolutionary technology to its loyal reservation holders.

While debuting its Launch Edition solar EV this past January, Aptera’s cofounders shared that the start-up still required tens of millions in additional funding to officially begin production. A week later, Aptera launched its Accelerator program to raise additional funds from reservation holders willing and able to invest at least $10,000 to secure their spot in the delivery line, prioritized by whoever donates the most.

Last week, we shared news that Aptera had nixed the late March expiry for the Accelerator program, extending it until all 2,000 of the first SEV build slots are spoken for. Aptera shared it intends to use those funds to make necessary production equipment purchases that will be reimbursed through a recently awarded grant from the California Energy Commission to the tune of $21 million.

Today, Aptera Motors is reporting it has the potential for millions in future revenue, thanks to a fleet pre-order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc.

Aptera secures first fleet order with hopes plenty will follow

Aptera Motors shared the details of its first-ever fleet order today, which entails a pre-order for 101 of the start-up’s 400-mile range solar EV. The reservation from SustainabilitySooner is valued at $3.35 million in future revenues and, according to Aptera, represents the first of many more partnerships with companies seeking a sustainable fleet solution.

Aptera may be off and running with a customer like SustainabilitySooner in its Rolodex, as it has already shared intentions to grow the initial fleet of 101 Apterae (learned a new word today) to over 101,000 solar EVs as it continues its expansion across the US. The start-up’s CEO, David Fuller, spoke to the pre-order with Aptera:

SustainabilitySooner.com placed Aptera’s first fleet order because Aptera is building the most climate positive vehicle on the planet. The next mobility revolution must be a climate positive revolution. Our missions fit together like they were made to. In our search for our Climate Positive Mobility Partner, it was easy, in fact effortless, to see Aptera and SustainabilitySooner.com could have a long, mutually productive, even symbiotic relationship.

SustainabilitySooner, Inc. is working to alleviate climate change using what it calls Climaculture – the science and practice of cultivating plants and organisms synchronously with land management to produce clean, sustainable air, water, and energy.

The company states its pre-ordered fleet of Aptera solar EVs will enable it to scout and locate raw land sites without pesky emissions, then will utilize “artificially intelligent robotic solutions” to map, plant, and study native plants and wildlife in those areas. Aptera cofounder and co-CEO Chris Anthony spoke to the start-up’s first fleet order as well:

We’re grateful to establish our very first fleet deal with SustainabilitySooner.com, a change-maker that embraces the solar mobility movement and empowers the community to make the world a better place. It’s great to see a forward-thinking company deploying this technology in such an innovative way.

SustainabilitySooner.com will continue to educate and promote sustainability to its subscribers while giving them the digital tools to track their own shrinking carbon footprints. If and when Aptera begins production of its solar EVs, they will certainly help the start-up on its journey toward curing the world’s climate in addition to providing sustainable, long-range mobility to other fleet operations.

Aptera’s SEVs are still available for pre-order, and hundreds of slots for the Launch Edition remain open. Furthermore, reservation holders can take advantage of a discounted membership to SustainabilitySooner.com with their reservation and can benefit from a 30% discount on their Aptera reservation fee.