Solar-powered Sono Sion to be built in ex-Saab factory
Small German start-up manages to raise $85 million in crowdfunding; EV production set to begin later this yearSono Motors has announced it will build its solar-powered Sion hatch at Saab's former Trollhattan plant after successfully raising €50 million ($A85m) through crowdfunding.
According to the German EV start-up, production will now begin at the ex-Saab plant in late 2020 and Sono plans to produce 260,000 cars over the next eight years.
As well as the successful crowdfunding campaign, Sono has announced that it has secured 13,000 pre-orders for the Sion, which it claimed can generate enough power from its solar-panelled body to provide a daily range of around 30km.
When the sun isn't so obliging, owners will be able to plug in their Sion to charge its 35kWh lithium-ion battery that provides a WLTP-verified range of 254km.
Despite its pedestrian looks, the little Sion is fast too.
Featuring a punchy 120kW electric motor that drives the front pair of wheels through a single-speed transmission, the car-maker claims its first hatch can hit 100km/h in less than six seconds.
Inside, the cabin is dominated by a large 10-inch infotainment system and a moss-covered dashboard (you read that right) that, combined with an on-board climate filtration system, is said to help regulate for a more pleasant atmosphere.
Sono says the first Sions will reach customers in early 2022, with pricing for the small solar-powered hatch set to begin from €25,500 ($A40,000).
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