The goal of the Sono Motors tour was to introduce Americans to the concept of solar mobility with the Sion, as well as to generate interest and enthusiasm for the company's potential future expansion into the US. According to the company, the Munich-based startup met with private individuals, corporate and media representatives in New York, Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles. Visitors also had the opportunity to ride in the vehicle.
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"In Europe, we're already experiencing significant interest in solar mobility. Our goal with this US tour was not only to introduce Americans to the concept of solar mobility, but also to learn about their concerns, gauge interest, build relationships, and refine our strategy for a potential medium-term market entry in the US,"
says Laurin Hahn, CEO and co-founder of Sono Motors. He continues:
"The results were overwhelming and consistently positive. Most visitors were impressed by the target price, the expected savings, and the additional range provided by solar energy, as well as the car-sharing option. This product promise resonated strongly and aroused strong interest among many visitors. The climate crisis is real, and we are all already feeling its effects. The move away from fossil fuels in the automotive industry is more urgent than ever, but people's mobility must, of course, still be guaranteed. We need clean means of transportation, which is why our mission is to equip every vehicle with solar cells. The solar energy generated by these cells is the answer, as it enables vehicles to be more independent of charging infrastructure. This is not only convenient for the consumer but also relieves the strain on the electricity grid."
Production start planned for the second half of 2023
In addition to the Sion, Sono Motors also presented the Solar Bus Kit in the US, a solar retrofit solution for buses, as well as other solar solutions for refrigerated trucks, trailers, last-mile delivery vehicles, and many other diesel or electric commercial vehicles with sufficient free space. The Solar Bus Kit partially supplies subsystems such as HVAC, heating, ventilation, automatic doors, and video screens with solar energy.
The Sion is a solar-electric car with five seats, which is expected to be available in Europe for around 25,000 euros net. Production of the Sion is scheduled to start in the second half of 2023. According to the company, over 20,000 reservations paid in advance from private individuals and over 22,000 B2B pre-orders for the Sion were acquired.
