DETROIT – After decades of attempts to power cars with energy from the sun, the solar automotive age might finally be upon us.
Germany’s Sono Motors, which went public on the Nasdaq last year, may have cracked the code with a $25,000 electric SUV called the Sion that’s covered pretty much bumper to bumper in solar cells.
- Instead of a solar glass roof, the Sion’s 456 cells are integrated seamlessly into its plastic hood, fenders, sides, roof and rear panels.
- Together, they provide enough energy to extend the car’s 190-mile battery range by an average of 70 miles a week — or up to 150 miles per week in perfect conditions.
- For people with short commutes in sunny locales, that could mean never plugging in again.
More than 20,000 Europeans have put down a $2,000 refundable deposit, Sono says, and it has another 22,000 orders from fleet customers, including a subscription car service called FINN.
To read more, click on Axios
