Solar-powered Sono Sion EV to arrive in 2023
Family-friendly (and £21k!) Sion MPV uses 465 solar panels to add up to 20 miles of free range per day
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Solar-powered cars seem too good to be true, but this dream is set to become reality thanks to a German start-up called Sono Motors.
The Sion has been in the works for five years now and Sono is hoping to make this EV available to customers next year in a huge landmark moment for the automotive industry.
Since 2017, Sono has received more than 19,000 reservations, with EV fanatics making deposits ahead of its eagerly anticipated launch. We can't wait to get our hands on one in the future!
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It's expected to cost £21,135, putting it firmly in the affordable EV space, rivalling the likes of the Fiat 500e and the MG 5 EV.
You will notice from the images there are a lot of solar panels fitted on the body of this car... well, there are 465 to be precise.
Sono says this helps to extend the car's estimated 190-mile range by around 70 miles per week. In fact, it reckons you could gain an extra 10-20 miles per day when the sun's out.
Along with the help of the solar panels, you can also obviously top up your battery with a charger, and the powerful 54kWh battery can be used on a fast charger up to 75KW, which is nothing spectacular these days (many cars can charge at twice the speed) but decent given the car's price.
This affordable and family-friendly MPV has a minimalist interior and a stylish and angular exterior, with the solar panels looking reasonably subtle on the bodywork.
Could other manufacturers begin to use solar panel technology?
By George Boulton
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