Contents Show
Update 25.02.2023
The rescue of the solar car Sion failed. As announced by Sono Motors, the development of the e-mobile will be discontinued with immediate effect. Instead, the Munich start-up intends to concentrate exclusively on retrofitting and integrating solar technology in third-party vehicles.
As a reason for the decision not to build the Sion, the company cites the poor conditions on the capital market for the cost-intensive business model. At the beginning of the year, the managing directors tried to close the financing gap with a reservation campaign. Around 50 million euros should be raised within 105 days to secure the production of the vehicle. Shortly before the deadline at the end of January, the start-up reports a collected sum of almost 48 million euros. The company then extended the ultimatum until the end of February. Now it's finally over.
The compact van Sion, presented for the first time as a concept in 2016, has a body paneled with solar cells. When the sun is shining, the photovoltaic technology fills the traction battery, which can also be charged at the socket.
It's the right idea.
We all know that there is a need to increase individual mobility decarbonize. We also know that eating less meat would be good for us as a society. More walking, more cycling in the city. We also know how important it is to stop consuming Resources to shut down consuming luxuries. We all know that two cars per household is actually crazy. We know it. Often enough we act differently.
At least on the topic Mobility effect Sono Motors from Munich had a very logical idea and made us an offer as a company.
The Sion, a logical idea - since 2016.
With a practical electric vehicle, the skin of which is covered with solar cells, designed to be shared. Sustainable produced. Developed in Europe. The Sion is currently agreeing on many good ideas. Ideas that make our mobility needs more sustainable and Resources could make it more gentle.
This begins with the technology patented by Sono Motors outer skin integrated solar cells and ends in current projects, such as the app-based sharing of the vehicle. Not just to conserve resources, because all too often a car is just a standing vehicle and not a vehicle. But also to share the costs. A perfectly sensible idea.
Sono Motors has since the Foundation further developed by Laurin Hahn and Jona Christians in 2016. With clever minds and a big one MotivationTo do the right thing, patents were developed and secured in important technical areas and the issue of mobility was rethought not from the hedonistic but from the sustainable side.
How does the Sion drive? Hands on Sion.
First pre-series copies of the electric Sion can already be experienced and AUTOHUB was able to take a seat in one of the development vehicles. The test carriers, named after planets in our solar system, are in the final form but are still a rather rough look at what will be completed Vehicle.
By day test drives were only possible in fairly manageable industrial car parks and at speeds of less than 60 km/h, the Sion eludes the classic ones for the time being Reviews.
Uranus, as our SION is called, is slightly longer than a current Golf at just over 4.60m, but shorter than a Golf Variant. His roof shape is more reminiscent of a high-roof station wagon, but it does not have practical sliding doors. His sense of space is lush, the legroom is the same class standards, the headroom and the air around the shoulders is rather above that thanks to the raised roof average. Its electric motor has an output of 120 kW, and the drive is powered by a 54 kWh LFP battery that is rare Erden waived. Its all-round solar panels are said to have a range of more than 100 km Reach per week (on an annual average) only fill up from the sun.
Freely based on Henry Ford's idea, all current Sions are produced in a plain black and also for the possible Series vehicles Any color is available as long as it is black. Like many other things, this is not an original decision by Sono Motors, but a decision by Community.
Because the Sion is likely to be something like the first "base-democratically-developed" vehicle on the market. If he comes.
Sion is not yet sure of everyone Details of the vehicle - but the first impression of the test car certainly conveys the feeling of sitting in a car that could be developed for series production.
Are there haptics and application hopefully still a long way from a possible series standard at the moment. However, it is also clear at this early stage: according to the standards we know today, it also means doing the right thing abstinence. No gimmicks. Abandoning comfort ideas that are standard today. Waiver of haptics. Waiver of external representation. But above all, the renunciation of Status. At least as we know it so far.
The Sion exudes a feeling of departure. The feeling of a fresh start with good ideas and good intentions. The Sion embodies the idea that right one to do. He breathes that Glauben to a better world.
The difference between morally right and economically successful.
The road to series production of the Sion is a long one. And a very rocky one. Contrary to what is usual in the automotive environment, Sono Motors wants the Sion to be a morally impeccable, technologically advanced and from the classic status thinking released car as debut work launch. At average Development costs of a new model in the amount of quickly more than one billion euros and a targeted market price of less than 30.000 euros, this is a project whose success depends on the "belief in the cause". Investors depends and this is where the shoe pinches. Everyone ends here Idealism.
Sono Motors is an idea that was formulated in 2016 and has been hanging on financial ropes ever since. And that despite a strong community. With the last started campaign savesion Sono Motors has already sold more than 1.400 cars without knowing whether series production will ever start. The goal: By January 26, 2023, 3.500 Sion must be bought and paid for by the community - or a sum of 104.650.000 euros collected. Sono Motors is currently pursuing a multi-pronged approach. It collects money from small investors, sells vehicles that don't yet exist and continues to try to convince the missing investors with the loud yes cry of the community.
The problem, a permanently resilient Financing Achieving this is the common thread of the Sono Motors story so far. This can be found sad and frustrating, but it leads to the question of whether "believing in doing the right thing" is enough to mobility demands to change our society.
And whether the combination of good ideas alone is enough to ever develop a car to market maturity.
The Sono Motors dilemma
The Sion is the right idea thanks to its newly conceived development, which has been focused on sustainable mobility from the start. We definitely see that.
Only that leads to his biggest problem. He is the embodiment a car whose sex appeal is on a par with a vegan grill plate in the canteen of the Meat Processing Industry Association. A sugar-free snack on one birthday party.
The Sion is the good idea to which we all give an approving and encouraging smile, only to quickly forget it and do the opposite with a guilty conscience.
Why it doesn't matter if the Sion doesn't reach market maturity
For Sono Motors, the signs are pointing to a storm. The currently necessary number of sold and reserved Sion is not sufficient and if not A Smarter happens, series production of the Sion never starts.
What might be seen as the critical failure of a good idea could nonetheless economically be the best solution for Sono Motors.
In the last three to four years, Sono Motors has not only tried to build a production vehicle to get on your feet. Sono Motors has also registered numerous patents in areas such as PV technology. The necessary for the Sion engineering achievement has to new solutions, new development approaches and new ideas for a sustainable Decarbonization guided.
Sono Motors is the sum of clever minds: Committed People with goals that we as a society should support. The integrated solar panels turn on truck trailers Commercial vehicles and a contrasting colored roof of a car with more sex appeal at least as much sense. Without the new financial ones risks, which would only appear after the start of series production of the Sion. It is easy to imagine a future for Sono Motors as a technology incubator, as a catalyst for decarbonization.
Does it really still need the Sion to confirm the original idea as correct?
