Automotive

Sono Motors solar-powered EV hatchback first ride: Here comes the Sion

Sono Motors solar-powered EV hatchback first ride: Here comes the Sion

Like flying cars or full autonomy, solar-powered electric vehicles are cool to read (and write) about but never seem quite ready for the mainstream and masses. Aptera has been teasing its sun-powered, three-wheel EV for more than a decade, and after rising phoenix-like from bankruptcy, it recently announced it will start production next year. Yeah, OK, sure.

Lightyear and Sono Motors also plan to start production on their more conventional solar-powered cars within the next year and have collected tens of thousands of preorders. While the Lightyear 0 sedan and Sono Sion hatchback both have solar panels embedded in their bodies to soak up sunlight and turn it into electricity to charge the cars’ batteries, they dramatically differ in price. The Lightyear 0 starts at about $265,000 (before taxes), while the Sono Sion starts at about $25,000 excluding tax, title, and fees – less than one-tenth of the Lightyear 0’s price.

While Munich-based Sono doesn’t have immediate plans to bring the Sion stateside, the company recently conducted a tour of the U.S. to drum up interest and ink on the car and ring the NASDAQ opening bell to celebrate its November 2021 IPO. Whoopi Goldberg and I rode in the Sion – not together – and I spoke with Sono COO Thomas Hausch about the company’s plans and why the brand and car’s names are so similar to both an audio company and a defunct auto brand.

Bumpy, Bondo-like look

While I haven’t encountered the Lightyear 0 in person, it’s clear from seeing and riding in the Sion why it costs much less. It’s a boxy budget five-door hatch with 456 half-cut solar cells integrated into the exterior, giving it a bumpy, Bondo-like look that may not bother the green-car crowd but will likely trigger disdain among automotive-design aesthetes.

The solar cells generate from 70 miles (in typical weather) to 152 miles per week (in optimal, always sunny) environs, adding to the Sion’s range of 190 miles – enough for “full self-sufficiency on short distances,” said Sono. Otherwise, the Sion’s liquid-cooled 54-kWh battery pack can be energized from 0% to 80% in about 35 minutes at a DC fast-charging station. With a Level 2 charger at 240 volts, it takes four hours to reach the same capacity.

Sion sells an 11-kWh wall box home charger with bi-directional capability, allowing the car’s battery to serve as power storage to run a home for up to five days, according to Sono. The car can also be used for portable…

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