The Sion, a five-person family car covered completely in solar panels, should enter into serial production in the second half of 2023, the German start-up developing the vehicle said Monday.
Following years of development, Sono Motors is now building a fleet of test vehicles before confiding mass production to Valmet Automotive, a Finnish company which produces vehicles under contract.
The large black Sion hatchbacks are covered with 456 solar cells which allow it to generate on average enough electricity over a week to power the car 112 kilometres (70 miles).
The car, which boasts a battery range of 305 kilometres, is aimed at families as well as car sharing services.
Sono Motors already has 19,000 reservations for the Sion, with the average advance of 2,225 euros ($2,225) helping finance development.
The company plans to produce more than 250,000 of the vehicles over the next seven years at a price of just over 25,000 euros.
Both startups and established carmakers have begun to integrate solar panels on electric vehicles to extend the range.
The Lightyear 0 is supposed to begin shipping to clients later this year, but only a thousand or so are to be produced at a price tag of 250,000 euros.
The Spain-based firm plans to roll out a mass market vehicle in 2024-2025.
The California start-up Aptera hopes to deliver a two-seat three-wheel vehicle next year and has 25,000 orders.
One version of the vehicle with a range of 400 kilometres costs $26,000, while another with 1,600 kilometres in range costs $46,000.
tsz/rl/kjm
Related Links
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com
|
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook – our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don’t have a paywall – with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. |
||
|
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
 |
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only |
Explained: Why perovskites could take solar cells to new heights
Boston MA (SPX) Jul 17, 2022
Perovskites hold promise for creating solar panels that could be easily deposited onto most surfaces, including flexible and textured ones. These materials would also be lightweight, cheap to produce, and as efficient as today’s leading photovoltaic materials, which are mainly silicon. They’re the subject of increasing research and investment, but companies looking to harness their potential do have to address some remaining hurdles before perovskite-based solar cells can b … read more