Carlsbad residents can sit inside a solar-powered electric vehicle and hear updates on two Village development projects at the Village Voices gathering on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The free event, hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association, runs from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center, 2787 State St. No RSVP is required.

The featured guest is Aptera Motors, the Carlsbad-based company building a solar EV at its Carlsbad facility. Attendees will be able to sit in the vehicle and learn about the technology behind it, according to the CVA's event announcement.

Aptera, which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker SEV, has been hitting production milestones this summer. Independent testing firm TÜV Rheinland measured the vehicle generating more than 4 kilowatt-hours of solar energy per day during three days of testing at Aptera's Carlsbad facility in July, according to a company press release. That translates to roughly 42 miles of driving range from sunlight alone.

Co-CEO Steve Fambro said in the Aug. 27 press release that independent testing confirmed what the company had built for, calling the solar energy measurement proof that the technology works.

The company issued purchase orders on Aug. 4 for body and chassis components for its first 40 production vehicles, with deliveries expected to begin in October, according to an Aptera press release. Aptera is targeting delivery of those vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2026. On a Carlsbad Chamber podcast published Aug. 6, Fambro said the Carlsbad facility could support up to 20,000 vehicles per year and roughly 300 jobs at full production.

CVA Executive Director Christine Davis will also brief attendees on two Village development projects that have drawn public debate.

The first, at 840 Carlsbad Village Drive, is a five-story, 50-condo mixed-use building approved by the City Council in a 4-1 vote on July 29. The project, by Carlsbad-based Rincon Homes, replaces a former bank building and includes eight deed-restricted affordable units. Councilmember Melanie Burkholder cast the lone dissenting vote. "Parking in the Village, or the lack thereof, is the common complaint of residents throughout the city," Burkholder said at the July 29 council meeting, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The second project, Carlsbad Village Square, would put a four-story, seven-condo mixed-use building at the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and State Street, replacing two restaurants that operate out of modified shipping containers. The Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Aug. 7 to recommend approval, but the project still needs a City Council vote. The council denied a similar proposal for the same site in 2018, according to the Union-Tribune. Developer Leor Lakritz has owned the property for at least 25 years.

The Sept. 8 gathering will also spotlight Carlsbad Village Music as its member business feature and include a door prize giveaway. The following Village Voices is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10.