German automotive OEM Sono Motors has reached 20,000 private reservations of what it claims is the world’s first solar electric vehicle (SEV).
Called Sion, the SEV is expected to start production in the second half of 2023 via contract manufacturing in Finland. Valmet Automotive will build the Sion vehicles and Sono Motors aims to produce about 257,000 SEVs in the next seven years.
Originally, Sono Motors had a production date of 2019 but obviously has been pushed back. The company first gave a glimpse of the Sion in 2018 but the design has changed many times since then with it becoming longer and wider.
The SEV will feature five doors with an additional side rear window for an all-round view and a combination of LED rear lights.
The solar cells can generate up to 34 kilometers of additional range per day at peak performance. The cells will be embedded in hard-wearing, resilient polymer and contribute to the aesthetics of the Sion’s design including color matching, the company said. The vehicle will also be able to charge via direct plug-in.
While Sion is the first production vehicle, Sono Motors plans to develop more vehicles based on the Sion platform including cars for urban mobility, logistics and last-mile transportation.
