Solar cars don’t have it easy! Sono Motors will definitely stop with the Sion
Things aren’t going so well for solar-powered electric cars. Production of the Dutch Lightyear 0 has ended and the arrival of the cheaper Lightyear 2 is also uncertain. In addition, the German Sono Motors has just pulled the plug on the Sion.
By the way, Sono Motors is not broke. In fact, the company is doing well. Sono Motors has been very successful in solar technology, but the auto business isn’t doing as hoped.
Driving prototype Sono Motors Sion
Autovisie was already allowed to drive a prototype of the compact Sion in 2018. The model would cost 25,000 euros in Germany and would be equipped with a 54 kWh battery, with which it could achieve a range of more than 300 kilometers.
We call the Lightyears and the Sono Motors Sion solar cars, but of course they’re not strictly speaking. They are electric vehicles that use solar panels to collect electricity on the road. The Sion could gain around 112 kilometers of range in a week.
Another #SaveSion promotion in December
In December, Jona Christians and Laurin Hahn, the founders of Sono Motors, tried again to get the Sion running. They launched the #SaveSion campaign and tried to raise enough money in 50 days to start production.
The men said they needed 3,500 people to make an upfront payment. Customers who would book their purchase could receive a maximum discount of 3000 euros on the purchase price.
Zion will not be built
Laurin Hahn told Der Spiegel it was difficult to convince investors. In his opinion, high interest rates, inflation and the market situation play a role here. “Investors are increasingly pulling out of risky companies.”
In addition, the Sion does not operate in an expensive segment, but has to be affordable. That makes it particularly difficult to make money from, in part because margins are so slim and production costs so high.
Serial production requires 210 million
Jona Christians estimated in December that 210 million euros would be needed to start serial production of the Sion at Valmet in Finland. Lightyear had also outsourced the construction of the Lightyear 0 to this company.
To date, Sono Motors has received around 50 million euros in commitments from customers. They will not be used. A total of more than 45,000 reservations were made for the Sion: a raison d’être of 44 million euros. This money will now be refunded.