Sion is an announced solar powered, full

electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quiet ...

, currently being developed by the German start-up

Sono Motors Sono Motors GmbH is a German company working on the development of the electric solar car Sono Sion. A special feature of the vehicle designed by the company is solar cells embedded in the plastic body panels on both the roof and the sides. The el ...

. Its battery can be charged using the electric grid or its own

solar cell A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon.Roding Automobile, whose form and function are already to be largely similar to the end product. Design, equipment and processing will be further optimized until final delivery. The experience gained during the test drives in 12 European cities (August 2017 to October 2017) is part of the further development. In autumn 2017, according to Sono, the series development began in cooperation with various partners. The Crashtest or Homologation is to take place in 2018, aiming for the 4* NCAP safety standard. The series production and delivery of the Sion is to start in the middle of 2019. In 2017, several medium-sized investors have joined Sono Motors, including the founder of the German energy service provider Juwi and the Böllinger Group. On May 9, 2018, Sono Motors announced the award of a major contract for the development and manufacture of a battery system for its solar vehicle to the German automotive supplier ElringKlinger. The total volume amounts to several hundred million euros over a term of eight years. On June 6, 2018, Sono Motors announced in a press release that the Sion is to be equipped with LED headlamps that were previously unusual for this price category. Automotive Solutions Germany GmbH (ASG) is to be the supplier for this. According to a press release from Sono Motors, on June 14, 2018, the minimum number of 5,000 reservations for Sion was reached. On April 17, 2019, Sono Motors announced production would start by late 2020, using National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) at their

Trollhättan Trollhättan () is the 23rd-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is situated by Göta älv, near the lake Vänern, and has a population of approximately 50,000 in the city proper. It is l ...

(Sweden) site, formerly a SAAB car plant, but later delayed the production start target to 2022. In late 2019, the company set a year-end fundraising goal of €50 million. It missed the goal, but extended the timeframe and hit the mark three weeks later, in January 2020. As of 2021, the company was targeting a start of production in 2023. On April 5, 2022, the company announced that Sion Solar vehicle will be manufactured by Finnish automotive manufacturer Valmet Automotive. In December 2022, the CEOs and co-founders of Sono Motors announced that they were unable to raise enough money to finance the ''Sion'', and are asking for the help of fans to help them continue the project.

Overview

Specifications

The Sion is a purely electrically driven car, which can be charged by a Type2- / CCS- charging interface, as well as by its own photovoltaic modules integrated into the car's outer skin.

Drive

The drive will be a three-phase asynchronous motor with a power of . The motor voltage is 400 V. With the rear wheel drive, a top speed of should be possible.

Solar cells (''viSono'')

The roof, bonnet and large parts of the outer shell of the body are equipped with highly efficient monocrystalline silicon cells (especially efficient in diffuse light, aiming to load 100% of their potential capacity at angles of incidence down to 70°) which are protected by a layer of

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

. The startup uses the product name ''viSono''. The total area of the 330 photovoltaic modules is with an announced efficiency of 21%. The maximum total power output is 1208 W_p, which means that the daily range gained in

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

is at a maximum of a day under favorable conditions (sunshine) and on average over a whole year about a day.

Features

Sono Motors pursues a one-product strategy, i.e. the car is expected to be produced only in one equipment variant. The Sion has room for 5 passengers. The seats offer of shoulder freedom and are all foldable. The drivers' seat is adjustable in height and position. The outer color will be black. The luggage compartment has a standard capacity of and can be increased to a total of by turning over the rear seats. In the interior, a natural filter made of moss regulates the humidity and filters fine dust (''breSono''). Front and rear airbags can be deactivated, so that child seats can be used. The electric handbrake is integrated into the center console. A trailer coupling for trailers up to will be available as an option. The Sion will be equipped with ABS, an alarm system, driver and passenger (deactivatable) airbags, side airbags with head and chest protection at the front as well as ESP with drive slip control. A reversing camera, cruise control and heated front seats will be included. Sono Sion - Probefahrt in Nürnberg (36857121392)

Sono Sion - Probefahrt in Nürnberg (36857121392)

Current storage (''biSono'')

The bidirectional charging system will enable the charging of other electric vehicles (11 kW) via a further Type2 socket, as well as the charging of standard household appliances (2.7 kW / 230 V) at the Sion via a Schuko socket.

Criticism

In several electromobility forums, criticism was voiced, according to which the announcements of the start-up to the vehicle were unrealistically ambitious. In the prototype vehicles, individual observers recognized parts of the interior, chassis and drive of the

BMW i3 The BMW i3 is a B-segment, high-roof hatchback manufactured and marketed by BMW with an electric powertrain using rear-wheel drive via a single-speed transmission and an underfloor lithium-ion battery pack and an optional range-extending p ...

with a concealed or removed BMW trademark. This questioned the creation height of the prototype and made the announcements appear doubtful. On September 14, 2017, Sono Motors responded to this criticism in social networks and forums.

Battery and range

A water-cooled Li-Ion battery (LiMn₂O₄) with a capacity of 35-45 kWh and a weight of approx. is to be used as the Sion's power storage. Because of the current rapid advances in battery technology, the final battery choice has been deferred until later in the development process. The Sion will be delivered with a CCS connector system with an integrated Type 2 connector. The type 2 charging cable is expected to be available at an extra charge. The built-in charger is designed to charge the battery with 3.7 kW to 22 kW of power (AC) for Mode2 and Mode3 charging according to IEC 62196. For DC charging to CCS, 50 kW charging capacity is indicated. The Sion is to have a range of (NEFZ), which corresponds to approximately under realistic driving conditions. June 2021: the company announced a new, sustainable, battery -> Lithium-Iron-Phosphate Battery (LFP) -> Zero cobalt / Longer lifespan / Greater range. It is fair as well as resource friendly, and, unlike lithium-ion equivalents, this battery's cell chemistry contains no cobalt, nickel or manganese. Due to their special properties, the advanced LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries are also effectively non-flammable. Even after long and intensive use, they display only low power losses, giving them a particularly long service life.

Flexible Charging

According to Sion the charging can be performed on any charging station in Europe employing various charging methods such as SchuKo, Type 2, and CCS. Using SchuKo in other words European Household Plug method, the empty car battery fully charges completely up to 100 percent up to 13 hours, based on the socket capacity. The Sion vehicle using Type 2 Standard Charging Station method can be charged up to 80 percent in 2.5 hours and up to 100 percent in 3.2 hours. The Rapid Charging Station (CCS) charge the battery up to 80 percent in half an hour. By charging an additional 30 minutes the battery charges up to 100 percent. 80 percent of charge allows a 200-kilometer range, which is enough according to distance between stations.

Dimensions

BreSono

One of the inventions of Sion motors is the artificial air filtration called BreSono. This uses

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

placed in the dashboard and the center of console to augment the air filtration. According to Sono motors, moss can increase the indoor air quality by filtering up to 20 percent of air particulates. The BreSono does not require special care i.e. watering, fertilizing, trimming or exposing to sunlight due to avoided enzymatic reaction of moss. BreSono has sponge properties that controls humidity where it either extracts it from the air or adds it to the air, according to the air humidity. In dry air, the moss provides extra moisture and its consistency becomes less soft. This filter could be replaced during a filter change.

Workshop ("reSono")

The workshop manual for the Sion, including CAD data of all spare parts for 3D printers or CNC Milling, will be publicly available (license-free) with the delivery of the first models so that future repair costs may be expected to be reasonable. With additional explanatory videos and a catalog of instructions on the site, it should be possible to install spare parts in the vehicle either independently of a workshop or by a workshop with limited experience of the Sion.

Sharing ("goSono")

On request, the owner of the vehicle is able to use his / her mobile phone app to offer other people electric power (power-sharing), a ride-way (ridesharing) or to rent out his car (car-sharing).

Business Plans

The Netherlands

Sono Motors Founders intend to move part of their business toward the Netherlands, as there is a growing e-mobility market there. They plan to captivate and intrigue the public interest so as to launch their zero-emission vehicle for sale, holding tours in 18 cities of the Netherlands and Germany.

Reservation and Order

Currently, the vehicle can be reserved on the Sono Motors website for a deposit. A contract of sale for the Sion will be offered to these prospective customers in 2020. There is a two-week right of revocation and rescission. The delivery will take place free of charge only to Trollhättan (Sweden) in 2021, at an extra charge also to a desired place.

Prices

The Sion was projected to cost €16,000 in its standard configuration without a battery, or €25,500 for a complete car. On April 5, 2022, a price increase to €29,900 was announced. By the use of older – and thus no longer legally protected – components of traditional car manufacturers this lower price compared to many other electric cars is said to be possible. The drive train as well as the battery are provided by automotive suppliers. The battery will be offered either at a monthly amount (rent or lease) or for purchase. The one-time purchase price of the battery was initially projected by Sono Motors to be less than €4,000, but was later increased to a realistic estimate of €9,500.

Production

An intended long-term production goal is 43,000 vehicles annually, gradually ramping up to 260,000 by 2028. In late 2019, with 10,000 units preordered, Sono predicted a September 2021 production start, with th
preorder page
showing customer deliveries targeted for early 2022. Sono also plan to extend their vehicle models on the same platform, but they didn't publish any details yet on what those models might be, or what would be the co-producing companies. The aim is using

100% renewable energy 100% renewable energy means getting all energy from renewable resources. The endeavor to use 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues ...

to power that factory. The car will be manufactured by Valmet Automotive in Finland from the first half of 2023.

Organizational Chart

Warranty

The legal provisions in Europe apply to the warranty. In addition, Sono Motors provides a guarantee for the Sion of either two years or .

References

External links

*
YouTube-video of a test-drive with the Sion

Collection of publications on the Sion at goingelectric
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Sono Motors Sion, Fully Charged

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Sono Motors Stock Market shares valuation

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