Sono left behind the fragile and heavy glass encasements that solar panels typically rely on in favor of monocrystalline silicon cells protected by a layer of polymer, integrated into the body of the car itself. And so we had to have … the experts sit together and bring up solutions that are automotive-grade and made to be really durable and sustainable.” “Because these were two separate industries, and they did not talk with each other so much. “We had to develop a completely new technology and get experts from the automotive sector and from the solar sector and let them sit together,” Christians said. Over the past five years, Sono developed the technology to do more than just slap some solar panels on the roof of the Sion. The Sion's solar panels will allow the vehicle to generate its own electricity, adding up to about 150 miles of range per week to the regular battery. These will allow the Sion to generate its own electricity, which can add up to roughly 150 miles of range per week to the regular battery and create “full self-sufficiency on short distances,” per the Sono website.
What sets it apart from other EVs are the solar panels set into the body of the car on all sides. The four-door Sion is a simple electric hatchback that’s compact but still spacious by European standards. “Basically every moving object can be equipped with that solar technology,” Sono co-founder and CEO Jona Christians told Protocol, including buses, trucks, trains and even ships.
On Monday, solar EV company Sono Motors released the production design for its passenger car, dubbed the Sion, as well as for its “solar bus kit” designed for public transportation fleets across Europe. Solar-powered electric vehicles are one step closer to reality.