Sono Motors stops Sion solar car

Sono Motors says it has terminated its Sion solar car programme and will instead focus on supplying its solar technology for third party vehicles.

Its solar technology is geared for integration with a wide range of vehicles, including buses, trucks, refrigerated, and recreational vehicles, and it has 23 customers so far, the company says.

Sono Motors announced late February it had decided to pivot its business model to exclusively retrofitting and integrating solar technology onto third party vehicles, and to terminate its Sion passenger car programme immediately.

It says the move comes in light of depressed capital market conditions and it is implementing a significant cost reduction programme which includes redundancy for about 300 employees.

Chief operating officer Thomas Hausch has decided to step down from his role but will support the company’s transition.

“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,” says Sono Motors co-founder and chief executive Laurin Hahn.

“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.“

It is working as a development-partner and supplier with companies across 10 countries in Europe, Asia, and the US.

Customers include Mitsubishi Europe, Chereau, and two Volkswagen subsidiaries – Scania and MAN Truck & Bus.

Sono Motors intends to focus specifically on buses and third party OEM cars, with the company intending to scale up its technology, starting with the introduction of the next generation of its mass-market-ready retrofit solution for cleaner public transportation – the ‘Solar Bus Kit’ – planned for the second quarter of 2023.

The success of the Sion’s 18-vehicle series validation programme was, in the company’s view, proof that the concept of a solar electric vehicle (SEV) works.

Sono Motors says fleet operators can benefit from integrating Sono Motors’ technology to save fuel, costs, and CO2, thereby contributing to the fight against climate change through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In January, Sono Motors secured 1.46 million euros funding from the EU Commission for its solar technology, with the company’s funding needs expected to decrease given its change in focus.

Sono Motors now has 52 patents filed or granted, 42 of which are for the company’s proprietary solar technology.

Sion reservations with deposits made before the #savesion campaign sees the company announce a payback plan to reimburse in various instalments, including a bonus over the next two years.

Although the Sion programme has been terminated and is intended for sale, the company will continue to utilise patented technology developed in its ongoing integration and retrofit business.