Not many EV startups have survived in the market. Can German startup Sono Motors, who just received 15K orders for its solar EV SUV, succeed in this ferocious market?
This seemingly ordinary SUV is the first product of German startup Sono Motors, Sion, and is categorized as a solar electric vehicle (SEV). Having received more than 15K preorders at a unit price of US$3,300, Sono Motors has now generated nearly US$50 million of revenue.
Assuming that Sono Motors fulfils all orders, an estimated unit price of at least US$25K for each vehicle will yield more than US$350 million for the startup in the early phase, which explains the efforts towards the mass production and delivery target by 2023.
Sion has a square design, though the polishing renders differences to that of general vehicles. Sono claims that the technical feature lies on the integration of solar cells with the entire structure of the vehicle, which reduces 50% of the weight compared to traditional solar panels, and the result is an EV that weighs almost identical to that of general electric SUVs, but with 248 solar cells.
▲ The body of Sion is integrated with solar cell modules.
According to the official statistics of Sono Motors, an actual testing in Munich rendered an average mileage of 112km per week under solar power generation, with a maximum mileage of 245km, for the Sion SEV. In other words, car owners won’t have to pay for any energy-related bills if they end up with a weekly mileage that is below this figure. Sion will save 50% of electricity fees for car owners based on an annual mileage of 10,000km.
The vehicle is merely equipped with a 54kWh battery that exerts a maximum driving range of 305km when fully charged, which is somewhat insufficient for long-distance trips, though should be enough for daily commuting.
The Germans are still passionate towards auto modifications. Sono Motors emphasizes that Sion comes with more room for DIY, and owners are able to swap out the consumables according to the manual without having to bring their vehicles back to the original factory. The startup also announced a work guide for third-party factories at the same time, where all auto plants can handle most daily maintenance and repair, and anything related to the battery can be resolved at cooperating service centers. The complete access to the rights to repair sure is admirable.
Sono Motors also announced an increase in the official price amidst growing preorders from US$25,600 to US$28,600 on November 15th, and the price increment may come earlier if the total amount of preorders exceeds 16K before the 15th in order to respond to possible inflation in the supply chain.
The cruelest reality has yet to arrive. Whether Sion can extricate from the tragic destiny of other EV startups and manage to enter mass production will be known by the first half of 2023. Sono Motors will be listed at NASDAQ before that to obtain additional funds.
(Photo source: Sono Motors)