Sono Motors reckons that extra bit of solar energy will make a difference. Analysts are skeptical.
Jason Deign reports for gtm
A German startup aims to sell a self-charging electric car covered in solar panels from 2022 after raising nearly $60 million in a recent 50-day crowdfunding campaign.
Munich-based Sono Motors expects its €25,500 ($27,600) electric car, the Sion, to benefit from a range extension of as much as 20 miles per day in Germany, depending on the season and weather, thanks to a solar charging system integrated into the body of the car.
More than 13,000 customers have already preordered the vehicle, the company said. It expects the first cars to roll off the assembly line of a former Saab factory in Trollhättan, Sweden in September 2021, with volume production at the start of 2022.
Sono’s €53.3 million community fundraising campaign should allow the company to build its first prototypes and tool up its production and testing facilities, said Ann-Kathrin Schroeder, marketing director.
Sono Motors reckons that extra bit of solar energy will make a difference. Analysts are skeptical.
The company is looking to raise a further €205 million before starting production, she said. Of this, around €70 million will be in the form of debt capital from banks, subsidy providers and private lenders.
The Sion will be powered by a 35-kilowatt-hour battery containing 192 prismatic lithium-ion cells with a nickel, manganese and cobalt ratio of 6:2:2.
Sono says the car will have a range of 255 kilometers (159 miles) on a single charge, and the battery should take 30 minutes to recharge up to 80 percent at a rapid charging station.
The Sion will include bidirectional charging technology so it can be used as a mobile energy storage device, and will also feature a novel moss-based dashboard air purifying system. But the most innovative feature is the presence of 248 solar cells spread across the outside of the car.
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