The world of solar rarely lacks for excitement, as innovation is a premium. The endeavor of Sono Motors to create a self-charging solar car with cells integrated into its body is proof of this. An exciting project that could revolutionize human transport, the Sion car is at prototype development stage, with a changeable deadline set for mid-2017.
Sono Motors electric car, Sion, is fitted with integrated solar cells in its body, which charge the battery as the car drives or while its parked. The charge from the cells would generate enough energy each day for the car to travel 30 kilometers.
The company has not created a prototype for the ingenious car as of yet, but now that it has entered the prototype stage, creating one to test drive is priority number one. Sono Motors is currently looking for a partner to help develop the prototype, but has still set a timeframe of mid-2017 to have the prototype completed.
Successful crowdfunding
To generate the funds to build the first prototype, Sono Motors launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, with the target of EUR 180,000. Completing its target amount by September, the campaign has actually generated EUR 230,000, and is still running. However, these funds alone are not enough to build the prototype.
Therefore, the company is in the market for a suitable investor in the project. Luckily, the crowdfunding campaign has also given the company great exposure, and it has been approached by some household names to find out more about the project and to potentially contribute, including Bosch, Nissan, Panasonic, and LG Chem.
Once the cars are brought to market, Sono Motors intends on offering two models, the Urban Sion with a 14.4 kWh capacity, which it hopes to put on the market for USD 13,200, and the Extender Sion with a 30 kWh capacity, which it currently prices at approximately USD 17,600. However, the company is quick to mention that no prices have been finalized.
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