Solar EV startup Sono Motors has announced a significant order for its Sion solar EV from Germany's FINN, a Munich-based car subscription platform.
After an initial non-binding reservation of 5,500 Sion EVs in 2020, FINN now intends to reserve and purchase a total of 12,600 units to create a sustainable fleet and drive forward the company's environmental goals.
Sono Motors and FINN signed a letter of intent concerning the reservation and purchase of 12,600 Sion vehicles, with the two parties seeking to reach a final agreement regarding their cooperation in 2023. The Munich-based startup plans to start production for the Sion in the second half of 2023.
Deliveries to FINN, which was one of Sono Motors' first B2B reservation holders, are expected to start in 2024 with a batch of 100 vehicles. A further 2,500 vehicles are planned to be delivered every year after that, until the total of 12,600 is reached. FINN plans to use the entire fleet for its car subscription service in Germany.
Gallery: Sono Sion SEV Production Spec
FINN operates its flexible car subscription platform in the United States and Germany. Subscribers pay a monthly price that includes everything besides the cost of electricity—insurance, maintenance and VAT. The company already has 30 percent of its entire fleet made up of electric cars and is looking to further diversify its range.
For private customers in Germany who preordered a Sion, FINN is offering a unique discount of €500 for a car subscription on their platform to reduce the waiting period until Sion deliveries begin.
Besides the order from FINN and other business customers, Sono Motors has more than 20,000 direct consumer (B2C) reservations as of September 1, 2022, with an average downpayment of about €2,000 net. Orders from private customers are equivalent to a net sales volume of about €435 million, according to the startup.
With an expected net sales price point of around €25,000, the Sion has the potential to become the world’s first Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) for the masses, according to Sono Motors.
At the end of July 2022, Sono Motors unveiled the production design of the Sion following the completion of the first series-validation vehicles. The company has already started on-street testing with the series-validation prototypes and is currently focusing on homologation, crash tests, testing in different climates, optimizing solar technology and safeguarding/refining driving dynamics.
