German Startup Sono Motors has plans for an affordable solar electric car

Sono Motors, a German startup based in Munich has  developed an electric solar vehicle that would be ideal for the hot summers in the tropics or even the Bavarian sun. The company’s solar car is in the final stages of testing. The Sion is an all-electric solar vehicle that will get charged as you drive.

Germany has set an ambitious target of having at least 1 million electric cars on the road by 2020. The country may miss this target but in April this year, the German government had announced that it was ready to extend support to German manufacturers who make batteries for electric vehicles.

Sono Motors was established in 2016 and its Sion is positioned as a fully-electric vehicle that comes with solar cells integrated into its bodywork. Its batteries can be charged through solar power, sourced from conventional power outlets or from other electric cars via bi-directional chargers.

Sono is planning to start production of these vehicles on a commercial scale in the second half of 2019 at one of its German manufacturing facilities. The company has already received orders for over 8,000 vehicles from over 33 countries till date. Sono will start delivering these vehicles which will have a price tag of 16,000 euros from next year.

The Sion will be equipped with 330 solar cells which are attached to the vehicle’s body on its  roof, bonnet and sides. It will be powered by a battery system having the capacity to offer a range of around 250 kilometers before it needs to be recharged and has top speed of 140 km/hr.

Laurin Hahn, co-founder and chief executive of the startup said that though the Sion is a simple, no frills vehicle, it would have all the features that are seen in most modern cars including air-conditioning, seat heater and a large infotainment system which can also be connected to a smartphone.