CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptera Motors Corp. (NASDAQ:SEV), a solar mobility company advancing ultra-efficient transportation, today announced the appointment of Wellington "Duke" Reiter, FAIA, as an independent member of its Board of Directors.

Reiter brings more than three decades of leadership at the intersection of higher education, architecture, urban development, and sustainability. He currently serves as Senior Adviser to the President of Arizona State University and as Executive Director of ASU’s University City Exchange, the unit responsible for building strategic partnerships between the university and outside institutions. He previously served as Dean of ASU’s design school and as President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previous to that, he was on the faculty of the Department of Architecture at MIT and in private practice in Boston. He led the conceptualization of ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus and is the founder of Ten Across, an initiative examining energy, water, and climate resilience along the I-10 corridor from California to Florida.

His appointment adds a further independent, cross-disciplinary voice to Aptera’s Board, broadening the range of perspective guiding the company’s governance as it moves from validation into production.

"Aptera’s vision — vehicles that draw meaningful range directly from the sun — sits squarely at the intersection of two things I’ve spent my career on: the built environment and the future of energy," said Reiter. "I’m looking forward to helping the company build the institutional relationships with economic development entities, sunbelt cities, and topic experts that will help solar mobility take root."

"Duke’s appointment reflects our commitment to bringing independent, cross-disciplinary thinking to this Board," said Tony Kirton, Chairman of Aptera’s Board of Directors. "His experience convening universities, government, and industry around complex, long-term projects is exactly the kind of perspective we want in the room as we advance toward production."

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our financing plans, the expected availability of capital, and the anticipated contributions and expected benefits of the appointment of new members to our Board of Directors and the development of institutional relationships intended to support the broader adoption of solar mobility. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "believe," "hope," "target," "project," "goals," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "may," "will," "might," "could," "intend," "shall," "plan," "continue," "advancing," "scaling," and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Aptera’s control. These risks include, among others, the uncertainty of achieving production milestones on anticipated timelines, supply chain delays and disruptions; our ability to hire key personnel; the availability and timing of required capital, and market conditions affecting financing; regulatory approvals and compliance; our ability to continue as a going concern absent additional financing; our ability to access capital under our equity line of credit and other sources on acceptable terms and timing; and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Aptera’s views as of the date of this press release. Aptera anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. Aptera undertakes no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Aptera’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

About Aptera Motors

Aptera Motors Corp. (NASDAQ:SEV) is a solar mobility company driven by a mission to advance the future of efficient transportation. Its flagship vehicle is conceived to be a paradigm-shifting solar electric vehicle that leverages breakthroughs in aerodynamics, material science, and solar technology to pursue new levels of efficiency. As a public benefit corporation, Aptera is committed to building a sustainable business that positively impacts its stakeholders and the environment. Aptera is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For more information, please visit www.aptera.us.

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