The Aptera is vying in a crowded field against some very well-financed competition to become among the first automakers to roll out a completely electric car. The 2e, which was due out at the end of 2009 but pushed back into sometime in 2010, can be charged by plugging in to a standard household outlet and boasts 100 miles per charge.

While Aptera doesn’t have the financial backing to match their competitors, they do have a strikingly different product. The Aptera resembles a small aircraft more than a standard automobile. I’ll say this for the makers of the 2e: they know their target market.

The 2e is designed for the early-adapting environmentalist (EAE). There are two things that the EAE cares about: the environment and being seen caring about the environment. The 2e fills both those needs.  Aptera’s energy-efficient, gasoline-free automobile will do as much to save the planet as any other alternative hopeful out there.  But the 2e will also turn heads and gather a crowd.  There can be no mistaking this vehicle for any other car on the road.  Drivers of the 2e can comfortably know that everyone who sees them knows that they are driving something special.

For those who need to drive more than 100 miles at a time sometimes, Aptera is also developing the 2h, a hybrid that promises an astounding 300 mpg.  You can reserve either one today, if you live in California and have $500 in  your pocket.  If not, you’ll have to wait a little while longer.