German company Sono Motors has unveiled a pre-production version of an electric minivan that is powered by solar energy. 456 solar panels are built into the body panels of the Sion car. The developers claim that thanks to such elements, residents of German metropolitan areas will be able to charge their cars four times less often than similar electric vehicles without solar panels.
Sion
The battery capacity of Sion is 54 kWh, which should be enough for 305 km of run. Solar power provides an additional 112-245 km of range per week. However, you can also charge a car from conventional charging stations - on-board charging is capable of receiving 75 kW DC or 11 kW AC. And it can also give electricity to household appliances, houses and other electric vehicles.
The characteristics of the engine have not yet been disclosed, but it is possible that it has remained the same as that of the previous prototype. In this case, you can count on a power of 161 hp. and a torque of 270 Nm. There is only one motor, it is located on the front axle.
Sion
In the near future, Sono intends to test the electric car in extreme conditions in Europe and the United States. After verification, homologation, crash tests, tests in various climatic conditions, optimization of electronics and dynamic performance, the car will be ready for series production in the second half of 2023.
Solar electric vehicles will be produced in Finland. The expected cost of Sion is 25 thousand euros.
Source: Carscoops
