German solar carmaker Sono Motors has revealed the very first images of the design for its first series solar car destined for a mass market, the Sion.
With nearly 10,000 reservations for the Sion electric car already taken, Sono Motors has refined its initial prototypes that were first revealed in 2017 into a family-friendly solar electric car (SEV) that can boost its range thanks to PV panels integrated into its body.
Able to add a range of up to 34km to the on-board 35kWh battery’s 255km range, the integration of the panels has also guided the design of the solar car.
“After unveiling our first prototype in summer 2017, we continued to develop our solar integration technology, which we have been working on since 2016,” said head of Sono Motors’ R&D for solar integration, Mathieu Baudrit in a statement.
“The production vehicle will feature full-surface integrated solar cells that are embedded in hard-wearing, resilient polymer and that contribute to the vehicle’s design aesthetic thanks to optimized color matching.”
These design influences have resulted in a vehicle that is longer, wider and larger than the original prototypes, with five doors and a roomier foot well and interior.
Read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle-dedicated site, The Driven…
