Sono Motors Receives 14,000 Orders Worth $350 M for Solar EV

German automobile startup Sono Motors has announced that it has achieved 14,000 private reservations for its Sion — “the world’s first Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) for the masses” — with an average down-payment of $3,300. The company released its first generation Sion prototype in 2017.

The company states that even prior to the commencement of production, it booked a total order value of more than $350 million. With the Sion, Sono Motors aims to be an attractive price-value leader in the medium size segment, at an estimated net sales price point of just $25,670.

Pre-orders of the Sion continue to be predominantly placed in Germany and the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) region, but the company is also registering increasing numbers from countries such as France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Portugal, said the official statement.

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“14,000 reservations, with an average down payment of $3,300, is unequivocal proof that the Sion both is wanted and needed. Virtually every car we will produce in the first year of production is already reserved by customers. We want to bring the Sion to the streets as soon as possible to meet the people’s desire for a resource-friendly and affordable mobility solution,” emphasizes Laurin Hahn, CEO and co-founder of Sono Motors.

The Sion is expected to have the lowest TCO (total cost of ownership) in its category at the commencement of production, scheduled for the first half of 2023. Production of the Sion will take place in Trollhätten, Sweden, in the former SAAB plant in cooperation with partner NEVS.

After the commencement of production alongside the increase to maximum capacity within the same year, the company intends to produce 43,000 vehicles per year in a 2-shift operation. Sono Motors is currently planning a production volume of 257,000 Sion vehicles over the first full lifecycle.

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The company aims to revolutionise the mobility system such that every electric vehicle would be solar, shared, affordable and free of fossil fuels.

Since its foundation in 2016, the firm has raised approximately €100 million through reservations and funding. In 2018, Sono Motors was recognized as a Solar Impulse Efficient Solution by the Solar Impulse Foundation.