Sono Motors files for insolvency, puts solar business up for sale

Sono Motors GmbH has filed for insolvency for the second time. The company announced today (August 3) that it ceased operations as of July 31.

The Munich-based start-up was founded in 2016 to develop and commercialise the solar-powered electric vehicle Sion. However, the project failed, and Sono Motors filed for insolvency in May 2023, subsequently attempting to restructure through protective shield proceedings. Since 2024, the company had focused entirely on its B2B solar business, which developed and offered photovoltaic solutions for the automotive industry.

Sono Motors said that, “despite intensive and promising discussions with investors”, it had been unable to secure viable financing. The restructuring became necessary after the company’s main investor, Sono Group N.V., announced in March 2026 that it was withdrawing from Sono Motors’ photovoltaic division with immediate effect.

As part of the insolvency proceedings, the company is seeking a buyer for its Sono Motors brand and its associated B2B business, which provides photovoltaic applications for vehicle manufacturers and fleets.

The assets being offered for sale include all intellectual property, hardware components and technical documentation. According to Sono Motors, the offering covers its vehicle-specific solar integration technology developed for the Sion model, power electronics such as solar charge controllers for vehicles, and Solar Data Services.

“The fact that we ultimately failed to secure financing is a major disappointment, particularly after we continued intensive discussions with investors until the very end,” said CEO Denis Azhar.

“Our focus is now on finding buyers who will continue developing our market-ready products, recognise the technological potential of Sono Solar, acquire all or parts of the business, and scale it further.”