The German start-up Sono Motors has announced the end of the Sion, the electric car with solar panels that will not finally reach the market despite its efforts.
In 2018 we knew about the existence of the Sono Sion, a curious electric car with moss on the dashboard developed by a German start-up. It would not be until the beginning of 2020, before the pandemic, when Sono Motors would get enough funds for the production of the vehicle with solar panels covering its body.
Since then, the project has gone downhill until the least desired outcome has come. Sono Motors has just announced the end of the Sion, its electric car with solar panels that will not finally hit the market.
Sono Motors announces the end of the Sion: there will be no electric car with solar panels
This decision is announced just three months after the company announced that the project was on the brink of failure, calling on its potential clients to achieve 3,500 reservations within 50 days, although in January it was announced that this The term would be extended until February 28 as a measure to save the vehicle.
In that period, although it has not expired, the reservation target has not been achieved either, despite the fact that Sono announced a final price of 25,000 euros for its car and that those who added to these initial reservations would obtain an additional discount of 3,000 euros , and the German start-up has been forced to cancel the project and close its department dedicated to the development of electric cars.
This decision also means the dismissal of about 300 employees, while its director of operations, Thomas Hausch, has resigned. “It was a difficult decision, and despite more than 45,000 reservations and pre-orders for the Sion, we were forced to react to the current financial market instability and optimize our business,” said Laurin Hahn, co-founder of Sono Motors.
In fact, Sono claims that the Sion program generated 90% of its financing needs by 2023. However, from now on they will focus on the development of integrated solar technology for automotive partners such as Mitsubishi Europe, Scania, MAN and another 10 more in countries in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Going forward, the German start-up says it will focus specifically on buses, including introducing a kit that will allow older vehicles to be upgraded with solar panels that it plans to introduce later this year.
