One of the arguments against the EV era is that the source of power that charges the batteries aren't completely clean. There are people who would argue that solar power could be one of the solutions and for that, Sono Motors from Munich, Germany has an answer.
Introduced in 2017, the Sono Sion is the world's first solar electric vehicle. Now, the company reports that over 20,000 reservations were made for the Sion as of September 1, 2022. The average down payment made by each private reservation is €2,000, or around $1,990 with the current exchange rates.
Gallery: Sono Sion Solar EV
Sono said that the asking price for the Sion is €25,126 (~$25,000). With that, the company expects the Sion to become the world's first Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) for the masses.
The Sono Sion's production is projected to commence by the second half of 2023. Sono Motors' partner Valmet Automotive in Finland will handle the manufacturing/production. After the ramp-up period. Sono aims to produce around 257,000 Sion vehicles within seven years.
Unlike the Genesis Electrified G80 and its solar roof, almost every flat surface of the Sion comes with solar panels: the hood, the roof, the fenders, the quarter panels, and the hatch. Only the front end doesn't come with solar cells, and that's because it needs to be relatively cheap to replace in case of an accident.
In total, the Sion comes with 456 solar cells, which should be good for 70 miles (112 kilometers) of free range every week. That could double (or more) in areas where the sun frequents the sky.
Beyond the solar power, the Sion comes with a 54 kWh battery pack that can propel the vehicle up to 190 mi (305 km) on the WLTP test cycle. Charging the small battery is capped at a mere 75 kW, though it also comes with bi-directional charging that can turn the car into a mobile power station with up to 2.7 kW output.
