Sono Motors has released final pricing and specifications for the production design for its solar electric car, the Sion.

Following an online media event on Monday at which it revealed the series version of the Sion, alongside a “solar bus kit,” the Dutch solar car company has now shared pricing and full specifications.

Previously listed for € 21,429 (ex-VAT) in January 2021, initial specs for the Sion included a 35kWh battery offering 255 kilometres range that could be topped up with up to 35km range a day extra from the sun, providing the car was parked in full sunshine. It said then the car would feature a 120kW motor with 270Nm max torque, and a max speed of 120km/hr.

Now, the new specs reveal the same motor but a larger 54kWh battery under the floor, that offers a claimed 305km range. Other specifcations announced by the company include 75kW DC fast-charging, and 11kW AC charging.

On the outside, the Sion is covered with the same 456 seamlessly integrated solar cells, that can add an average 112 kilometres per week (or maximum 245km).

Pricing is now put at €29,900 (the down payment is €500), which equates to about $A44,000 converted.

Inside and outside, the latest version has also become clearer in its design compared to its predecessor.

From the outside, the solar electric car has new headlights and taillights, a redesigned side line, new door handles, the Sono badge on the front, a clearly structured rear end with a camera and 3D lines, and a new tailgate. A tow bar is provided as an optional add-on.

Interior photos show f ront and rear seats and the steering wheel have also changed, as have the colours and materials. On the dash, there is a display behind the steering wheel as well as a central 10″ touchscreen.

To underline the green credentials of this solar car, Sono has decided to place some “integrated moss” to ensure “pleasant indoor ambience.”

By July 1, 2022, Sono Motors said it had received around 19,000 private reservations including down payments.

If all of these interested parties proceed to sale, Sono Motors can already post sales of 415 million euros.

While the company has inked a deal with Finland’s Valmet Automotive to build the Sion – it says it is aiming to build 275,000 of them by 2030 – it is yet to start making the planned passenger electric car.

Sono Motors says it is currently manufacturing a fleet of series validation vehicles for the Sion test program that has already started near its Munich headquarters.

In the next few months, these are to undergo validation and steps for the international approval process (homologation) in Europe and the USA. This includes practical tests under extreme climatic conditions and crash tests.

Production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2023 at the contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive’s plant in Finland.

In the meantime, it would seem Sono wants to capitalise on its expertise in the integration of solar into other forms of transport.

Solar carmaker Sono Motors also unveiled its plan on Monday to enable public buses to reduce fuel use using a retrofit “Solar Bus Kit” that promises to pay for itself in just a few years – although it is not exactly clear how it will deliver fuel savings for diesel buses.

“The all-new Solar Bus Kit allows us to strengthen our solar business by maximizing the scalability of our technology to a huge market: the public and private bus fleet sector. It also represents a milestone on our path toward a world without fossil fuels,” said Christians.

Sono says the Solar Bus Kit weighs only three to six kilograms per square metre, and consists of 3.5 millimetre thin solar modules. From a financial point of view, the decision to go with solar integration is easy: according to Sono Motors, the investment pays for itself after just three to four years depending on fuel prices and consumption.

Each kit provides a photovoltaic system with 1.4 kilowatts peak and requires eight square meters of space. If it is a classic diesel bus, it says a saving of 1,500 litres of diesel fuel – four tonnes of CO2 annually per bus – is possible.

However, when asked how it would do this for diesel buses, Sono’s spokesperson said in a note via email, “the Solar Bus Kit reduces total diesel consumption because some auxiliary systems (such as HVAC, integrated electronics, etc.) can run on battery power. Those batteries, in turn, are partly charged by the solar panels. Because solar is powering those auxiliary systems, the result is a reduction in overall fuel consumption and total carbon footprint. ”

Considering auxiliary vehicle systems are usually run off an auxiliary (commonly 12-volt) battery that is charged by an alternator while driving (with no additional demand for fuel), we asked the Sono team for more information on how the kit would save on diesel costs and carbon emissions.

Clarifying further, the Sono team said in a note by email that, “A great amount of energy is needed to run things like HVAC; the energy generated by driving (via the alternator) that charges the aux battery is not enough to power these systems — they still require additional fuel. It’s the same with cars: using A/C will consume more fuel than not using it, even though A/C systems are powered by an auxiliary battery.

“With Sono, the 24V aux battery of the vehicle receives additional energy from solar, reducing fuel consumption.”

In Munich, Sono Motors is already working with the municipal transport company trialling a solar bus trailer that adds more seating and improves range. It is now actively looking for partnerships for the conversion of bus fleets.

In late 2021 Sono also inked a deal to test vehicle-to-grid in cooperation with the Dutch city of Utrecht. Sono says it will reveal more details on its Solar Bus Kit at the IAA Transportation expo in September.

This article has been updated with more information about how the solar bus kit plans to save on diesel costs and carbon emissions.

Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.

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