Sono dumps plans to make a solar electric vehicle in favour of solar retrofits

Sono Motors, the German company hoping to build a solar-powered electric vehicle, has dumped plans to develop of the Sion passenger car after failing to secure enough funding to support pre-series production.

Sono Motors will instead focus on its program of retrofitting and integrating its solar technology onto third party vehicles.

The Sion solar electric car was first presented in 2017, and formally unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2021 with a promised price tag of €21,429 – which could translate to around the $A34,000 mark.

New pricing and specifications were released just last July, with an increased cost of €29,900 (around $A44,000) but beefed-up power thanks to a 54kWh battery offering a range of 305 kilometres.

However, due to “depressed capital market conditions” and a desire to transition to a “capital-light business model”, Sono Motors has immediately terminated the Sion passenger car program.

Approximately 300 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the decision, but the company will recoup significant funds, with an estimated 90% of the funding needs for 2023 generated by the Sion program alone.

“This pivot marks a significant step in Sono Motors’ business development,” said Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors.

“Even though we had to terminate our original passion project, the Sion program, shifting our entire focus to business-to-business solar solutions provides us with an opportunity to continue to create innovative products in the solar space.

“It was a difficult decision and despite more than 45,000 reservations and pre-orders for the Sion, we were compelled to react to the ongoing financial market instability and streamline our business.”

Sono Motors was never only just about the Sion, however, and has spent the last few years signing multiple contracts to retrofit or integrate its solar technology into third party vehicles, which will now become the company’s sole priority.

Boasting 23 business-to-business (B2B) customers across Europe, Asia, and the United States all piloting the company’s integrated solar technology on a variety of vehicles, Sono Motors will now scale up its technology, starting with the introduction of its Solar Bus Kit.

The first Sono Solar Bus Kit was rolled out in November on an electrified Mercedes-Benz bus. Consisting of 14 semi-flexible solar modules, the Kit will provide around 1.3kW peak to the 24-volt battery system onboard the Mercedes-Benz Citaro C1 bus, which began operations late last year.

Sono also boasts partnership swith customers like Mitsubishi Europe, Chereau, and two Volkswagen subsidiaries – Scania and Man Truck & Bus.