Squad Mobility prices solar car at $6,250

From pv magazine USA

Squad Mobility will show off its new Squad solar electric vehicle – a golf-cart-like, battery-powered vehicle that can charge itself with sunlight – in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The company says the car has a 62-mile range on a full battery charge, and can source an average of about 12 miles per day from the sun with its built-in solar array. It is pricing its base model at $6,250.

The two-passenger vehicle has a solar roof and can also be charged via a 220 V port. It has two 2 kW motors and swappable lithium-ion batteries. Each swappable battery in the Squad has a capacity of 1.6 kWh, adding up to 6.4 kWh in total. The company says it will develop “Squad Battery Walls” with precharged swappable batteries for fleet managers.

The Squad is designed for short trips, with a compact design to navigate congested city streets. It has removable doors for warmer climates.

The vehicle tops out at about 44 miles (70.8 km) per hour and is 2 meters in length, 1.2 meters wide, and 1.6 meters high. It has a 6-meter turning circle, creating a compact design for easy parking. It has a full aluminum tubular roll cage and crash structures in the front and rear and holds up to 243 liters of storage.

“Combining low capex and opex with the capability of remote diagnosis, Squad provides essential vehicle data 24/7 for efficient fleet management. Both the interior and exterior are easy to clean, while broken parts are easy to replace,” said Squad Mobility. “The wheels act as natural bumpers, preventing damage to body parts. An extra option is the Squad battery wall for quickly changing and charging the batteries.”

Production is scheduled to begin in 2023, with deliveries initially starting in the Netherlands, and then moving east and south throughout Europe.