The cheap solar-powered car you might NEVER need to charge | SONO SION

[@fullychargedshow]

Is the affordable EV we've all been waiting for? Tell us what you think about the Sono Sion in the comments below...

[@piratepartyftw]

SONO SION seems very cool! But I would love to see Fully Charged cover Aptera. They seem much further along in the development of practical solar-electric cars

[@billybollockhead5628]

Unfortunately, still have to wait another two years..

[@MrSavage77]

until then, Dacia Spring is the most affordable EV...

[@klaxoncow]

Props to the crew who make these videos. As, increasingly, when the video starts, for a split second, I don't know if I'm looking at the actual video or I'm getting a pre-roll ad for some new model of car. The quality is indistinguishable - which is very much a compliment, as those corporations are paying mega-dollars to make their ads look top notch but you guys are easily matching or exceeding that on a routine basis. Very impressed and felt I ought to give that due credit. (Particularly because I'm old school and remember Robert's "Wet Liberal Weekly" videos. The transition is astounding. Some actor moaning limply into his camera phone - 144p quality, no doubt - has turned into a small empire on the bleeding edge of a revolution. You see, it does ultimately pay off to be bloody-minded, after all.)

[@Kimbrough87]

What is does Lfp battery’s mean?

[@samspencer7765]

A car that completely eliminates - then reverses - phantom drain! Stuff like this needs to succeed. To hell with BP, Shell, Texaco etc, I don't wanna refill at the price you dictate now only for you to try to do the same with electricity tomorrow. Reduced reliance on some bloodsucking company to provide you with resources is always a good thing.

[@jeffreypetsinger2967]

Check out the Aptera before you get too excited about the Sion.

[@DavidKnowles0]

@@jeffreypetsinger2967 Lightyear one

[@Cloudrak]

@@jeffreypetsinger2967 moneys and practicalities

[@benholroyd5221]

This car was charging at a rate of 89 watts. If an EV can do 5 miles per kWh it's doing well. So you're looking at 2 + hours to gain 1 mile. So if you gain 6 miles a day you're doing well. If your commute is only 6 miles you may be able to avoid recharging during the summer. Come winter that charge rate will go way down. Battery range will go down. Power usage for heating will go up. Unless you use a car so little that you don't really need one, you will need to charge this.the only time when it might help is avoiding charging from home. Not when out and about.

[@tarant315]

@@benholroyd5221 This 1 had only a working Roof panels, which is probably 400-500 watt peak. The whole system is 1.2kw. So you should be able to get 2 or 3 times the 89 watts. But you're right about recharge on the drive is probably only able at daytime in Morocco at walking speed. Still I see huge potential with this concept

[@Stune5]

Solar powered cars is pretty much the holy grail of personal transport. I know there are other companies working on this such as Lightyear and Aptera (though not at a similar price point) but its something more mainstream vehicle manufactures should be taking seriously. Its quite feasible people doing lower millage could quite literally drive for free for large quantities of the year. Big thumbs up to Sono, hope its a massive success!

[@andrw90210]

These are the type of cars we need. Cars that allows us to absolutely leave the grid and charge from the sun. The more of these cars we have the less Energy we would need from the grid.

[@benholroyd5221]

Why not just put the solar panels on your roof? You'd probably need to charge it at least in winter and if you do any kind of reasonable milage.

[@andrw90210]

@@benholroyd5221 I believe it’s implemented on the roof as well you would probably have to go to their website and have a look.

[@benholroyd5221]

@@andrw90210 I meant on your house roof. Cheaper, better positioning, less likely to get damaged or dirty.

[@andrw90210]

@@benholroyd5221 oh I don’t have solar I live an Apartment in NYC

[@theairstig9164]

The extractive industry lobbyists will claim this car causes Cancer Still born babies Erectile dysfunction Spontaneous ignition of plants Financial ruin; and Madness

[@paulhawker1685]

I can see this as being the ideal rental car in places like Spain for 2 adults and 2/3 children. Pick it up at the airport. Enough room for 2/3-suitcases. Drive to your hotel. Charges in the sun so no charging costs. Small journeys here and there. Back to the airport at the end of your holiday.

[@SlayerHunt109]

I don't because solar will take too long to charge and on holidays you can drive very big distances

[@SimplyTriedHere]

@@SlayerHunt109 how so?

[@lucyhumber6053]

@@SlayerHunt109 You can still use the fast charge that charges it in an hour

[@zhekadk]

Some days you will drive long, many days you will stay at a beach with sunny parking place to chose. Underground parkings getting not popular in this case

[@slimetank394]

​@@SlayerHunt109 it can keep charging itself during your trip in day time

[@benjaminolry5849]

I really hope that they succeed. Every startup needs to talk their product up to a certain degree but if they deliver 80% of what they promise, this might be the first electric vehicle that makes sense for a lot of people and is only 25% more expensive than comparable cars of it's class. Without politics helping electric adoption, this will still be a slow process :| 2 Years ago we needed a new family car and the only thing we were able to afford was a Toyota Yaris hybrid for a family with 3 children. It is small but it was the only viable option that at least has efficient fuel consumption. Keep up the good spirit!

[@kayodeonanuga5152]

I love this idea 💡 so powerful.

[@kahtyman7293]

they're selling it, so no car of that type for now

[@philipcurtis9983]

I hope this car is successful and they release it in the USA. This would make good use of the Florida sun where I live.

[@steveemery30]

But the avg American drives 70 miles to get breakfast ;-) haha

[@MrWadsox]

@@steveemery30 I live in Florida too and I would buy one today if they were available here.

[@vic321344]

@@MrWadsox Hope you dont need air conditioning.

[@vic321344]

@@garydmercer The aircondition will eat up your solar yield in a glimpse, especially if you let the car park in direct sunlight over the whole day.

[@ElroyMcDuff]

​@@vic321344 You don't need to run the air conditioning all day. The car gets hot sure but just turn on the AC 5 minutes before you leave work. No biggie.

[@Maker_of_Things]

This is the car that was designed with me in mind. I would put money down on it now if I could have it in right hand drive in the UK at that price. I would happily plan my driving life around what it could do on Solar, and only charge it for unforeseen use.

[@Crucioj]

Yes same, I've asked them many times over the years about right hand drive but they won't commit. It will take some kind of petition to show them the demand from the UK I reckon

[@matthewwatt2295]

@@Crucioj Honestly if it's as good as the previews have shown it, I'd happily tolerate driving on the wrong side.

[@موسى_7]

@@Crucioj BYD is making right hand for Australia. Perhaps you will be able to buy a Dolphin here in the UK soon.

[@Maker_of_Things]

@@Crucioj I wonder if importing them here might prove too problematic, on top of the cost of a right hand drive conversion for a limited market.

[@examinerian]

@@Maker_of_Things It's not so much the car, but the way it integrates into the electricity grid. Apart from stuff like the headlamps being aligned wrongly for RHD, the Sono Bi-directional wall box can't be used outside of a few limited countries, so it'd only be able to take charge, not give it back to the house. I'm subscribed to their updates, and have been involved in the community outreach stuff too, and would buy one if I could. From Sono's website: "Currently we plan to certify our wallbox in the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and France. The wallbox can preliminarily not be used outside these countries. We intend to extend certification to other countries, depending on demand." I'd be happy with driving LHD in UK, though if the car is not officially sold here it might be difficult to service/insure (not the car itself - plenty of LHD in UK - but the car-share, renting aspects). If you lose the car-share side of things, and the ability to use V2G because it's basically illegal to hook the wallbox to the grid, there's just the solar charging left, since V2L is now appearing in other EVs these days.

[@lfla0179]

I want this little bugger. I commute 10km to work, so that's 20km both ways. And the parking lot has no shade. ALL. DAY. LONG.

[@Perfektionist]

Finally entering your super hot car after work feels good :D

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

@@Perfektionist 😆 🤣

[@lfla0179]

@@Perfektionist Yes it does feel good not taking an even hotter public transport 🤣🤣🤣🤣, but in a gas car now. Burning gas. Being all else shitty equal, I save on gas 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@vic321344]

@@lfla0179 So you want to to pay 25k for a Sono instead of a 10k Geely, which is made out of the same components (except solar and moss)? Quite expensive 10 km communting.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

buy ít

[@tworiversworkshop6111]

What a great idea. I fitted solar to my boat and for a whole year never need to connect to shore power. Solar really rocks!

[@davidbourne3580]

A Brilliant concept and should be in huge demand once they are available. Well done Sono Sion.

[@prerunnerwannabe]

I've been following Sono very closely for years now. If they ever end up selling them in the US, I'm 100% going to buy one.

[@jeffreypetsinger2967]

Look at the Aptera first.

[@prerunnerwannabe]

@@jeffreypetsinger2967 That is also a sweet vehicle, but I'm a sucker for hatchbacks. Plus I need more than 2 seats. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

[@roodick85]

1000%! I've been waiting for it to premiere too long now

[@jeffreypetsinger2967]

@@prerunnerwannabe Aptera is a hatchback and has more storage space than a Prius. They also sell a camping package that straps onto the back that converts the back into sleeping quarters for two people, if you are into that. You can fit a surf board back there.

[@matthewwatt2295]

@@jeffreypetsinger2967 I mostly use my car when I'm taking passengers or a lot of cargo - otherwise I'm happy to cycle or take public transport to get around. I don't see how the aptera would fit my use case, but I assume it'd work well for North America where many places aren't accessible by bus/train/etc.

[@MartinJonesamheuwr]

This is one of my favourite episodes on Fully Charged, ever. What a perfectly practical car for local driving. A to B is all that I want, and to be able to do it for next to nothing is a win win. The moment this car arrives in the UK I want one.

[@linmal2242]

LHD only .

[@jerrycrockett2545]

This is the vehicle I've wanted ever since high school when I formed an idea of what an electric car should be. Tesla makes very nice electric cars and may eventually make a vehicle powered by rainbows and early morning dew, but I prefer a vehicle that's affordable, charges in the sun, and from a company with a CEO I respect. This is brilliant.

[@vic321344]

So you respect a CEO of a company, who is not able to provide a road worthy prototype within 10 years?

[@moestrei]

Hes not perfect but I do respect Elon too......a lot.

[@richchrono7693]

@UCngpRk_UoxZhwQ129IlziYg yeah, I'm sure it was exactly that simple. Just the way you presented it here no extenuating circumstances, no legal or design changes, no funding issues that required focus to temporarily be elsewhere, no I'm sure that the company had no issues like that and the CEO of course was just kicking back sipping his macchiato in the morning and a 1985 Chateau Nuf De Pap for afternoon tea shortly before taking a nice long leisurely drive home as million dollar sports car convertible with the wind in his hair and sun shining his Coach sunglasses as he cruised up PCH to arrive at his front door by 5:00 and kissed the kids. And every day was exactly the same. So yeah, I can understand some lazy fuck off CEO like that deserves to be fired and ridiculed. I tell you what, you tell me who did that, and I'll jump on the phone with you right now and we'll call the board of directors and tell him to fire that mother fucker whoever he was. Deal?

[@gj1234567899999]

The difference is Tesla is here now, and 800,000 will be built this year, and when Texas and Berlin are ramped up 3 million. This company like others are not thinking 2 steps ahead about their manufacturing. You can’t build an affordable car without scale. These guys had no mention of their plans for huge factories. You can’t hand build cars cheap.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Agreed. I would totally buy a Tesla if I had the money, but for now this car would totally suit me as being my dream car to get around in. Especially if I want to go touring in it.

[@williamgwyntreharne9966]

The windows of the car can be covered with transparent photovoltaic panels. Some of the panels can be designed to work in low light conditions and even can work on radio waves (perhaps by changing the boot lid round) so the car will be more efficient in Winter. It may also help to use a rounded roof.

[@SlayerHunt109]

But not the windscreen ...... will be too expensive and windscreens get damaged in general

[@maxwildcard2403]

Are there rollable solar panels like rool curtains that you could roll down in side the car to cover the windscreen?

[@fredscratchet1355]

If I was looking for an ev then this would definitely be the one. It makes so much sense, the company have obviously put loads of thought into it. It's not just about the big boys trying to screw us for as much money as they can but a small conscientious set up giving us what we actually want not what they want to give us. I've followed all the videos on this and maybe when it's ready i might just be able to scrape the cash together.

[@vic321344]

It makes no sense at all. Building a solar system that improves efficiency by 3%, and then use inefficient drive trains and batteries which are 20% less efficient than Teslas. And a heating with a 5kW elctrical heater. Which eats up your whole year solar yields in one winter month.

[@niklaswejedal463]

I really like the functionalist, utilitarian, non-luxury ethos of the Sono - I could absolutely see myself in one of these in the future.

[@vic321344]

They achieved the peak of "no luxury". That is "not existent".

[@rakondite]

I told my wife about this a while ago - apparently we are going to buy one! I have no say.

[@eddjordan2399]

good lass

[@1stSilence]

You have a smart wife. ;)

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Smart man

[@NoreenHoltzen]

What it is with men becoming so obedient these days? I want men to be strong and do what is best themselves. That is what women really respect even if men cooking is currently in fashion.

[@1stSilence]

@@NoreenHoltzen I am sure, Sherlef was just joking. But imagine, the Taliban were obedient to women. Would Afghanistan do better or worse?

[@georgecostanza2695]

It may not be to everyone’s tastes, it may not even be suitable for me, but it makes me happy to know there are people working on products and technology such as this.

[@manup1931]

As a german, I don’t want to hear about this company any more. Now they claim 2023 for production, it was introduced in 2017. I am happy they are licensing the solar technology. No hope for the car

[@_TrueDesire_]

@@manup1931 i waited for this car for years. but it seems they will produce some at least “The expected start of production will be in the first half of 2023. We plan to produce all reservations as of today (currently 14,000) in 2023.”

[@Gwydion67]

@@manup1931 Being German as well, I truly respect your giving up hope. Nevertheless I'd recommend the community blog and the regular company news for updates. In opposite to other companies they act and communicate very transparent and community-driven, esp. their financial numbers. Both their solar patents and the impressive list of accredited partners feed my trust / confidence in the latest released date of producion start, 2023. And after all, I very much appreciate the changes for the batteries (increasd capacity from 35 to 54 kWh, and even more the change from Lithium Cobalt to Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry). This increases environmental sustainability *and* social fairness at the same time, plus eliminating the last fire risks. During 2020 they suffered from the delivery bottleneck of the component suppliers like any car manufacturer with the small difference of not being able to fill in gaps by shitloads of ready-to-sale cars. Considering this, my deepest respect to their clever survival strategy, plus even grapping the chance of enhancing a couple of topics, like the battery. May this lighten up your spirits a bit. 🙂👍

[@vic321344]

@@Gwydion67 The patents are worthless. The finances are absolutely intransparent. The battery change was due to the chinese manufacturer, who does not produce smaller batteries due to lack of interest. What bottleneck for 2 handbuilt showcars (cost over 1 mill $)? Ask Chevy Bolt owners about fire risks for cheap EVs. What besides pure green daydreaming feeds your trust? What was clever or strategic at all?

[@o0bananaman0o]

happy festivus

[@Wuozlinga]

What a cool car. Simple, affordable, with the environment and common sense in mind.

[@rrshse6704]

Well done! I love this car concept and the whole ethos of the project. I can imagine a car like that in Italy, Spain, Greece , South France, Portugal etc (sunny South European countries). Basking in the sun and getting charged for free , almost all year round. This is a definite winner for me, I WANT one! :)

[@vic321344]

It would be much more efficient and cheaper to install solar roofs on houses, maybe together with a power wall.

[@KryssLaBryn]

@@vic321344 I don't disagree with that; but if the car can recharge *itself* when you're out and about as well, wouldn't that be better? Some of the smaller EVs coming out nowadays can recharge from a regular household socket, which is already much better than having to find some fancy proprietary socket when you're travelling (or having to install one at home, as an additional expense on top of the car itself). But I mean, depending on how far from home you work (as a North American, it can be quite some distance without raising eyebrows; I've had *multiple* jobs where I was commuting 40 or more kms to work, each way) you might very well need to give it a bit of a boost for the return trip. And you *might* have an outlet at work, or wherever, to plug into. But frankly, while I really would like to see solar panels or wind turbines on each building, we're not there yet. So if we've got to plug in, then we're (a) looking at the increased demand upon the electrical grid from what hopefully will be multiple recharging EVs; and (b) what I fully expect will be a non-zero chance that if your employer does have sockets there to plug into, that they will also be charging you for that electricity. A good friend has a hybrid, and her employer a few years ago moved into a new building, which has several charging stations in the parking lot, which is fantastic! However, of course, in order to access it, you need to swipe your key card-- which isn't bad in and of itself, since the parking lot is publicly accessible, and I doubt the employer really wants to give away the electricity they've paid for to strangers for free. But of course it also means that they can track which employee is plugged in where, and how much they've used, and charge them for it. So a vehicle that has the potential, at least, assuming enough solar hours in the area, to minimize those costs by cutting out the middleman and drawing the power straight from the sun is a great idea! And I mean, it's not even new; we've been able to buy solar panels to mount up on the flat roofs of RVs to keep a trickle charge on the batteries powering the lights etc since the mid-Nineties at *least.* So, yes, let's mount solar panels on all of our roofs, and put in a solar wall as you say; I heartily endorse the idea! But, since we can, why not put them on our vehicles that are *using* that electricity, as well? :D

[@vic321344]

@@KryssLaBryn A lot of words, so here a short answer: The car needs 15kW (with a k) to drive, the Sion Solar roof has a yield of 90W. Real world example: The solar roof of the Ioniq5 needs 40 years to pay for itself with its solar yield.

[@TODOMATIO]

I want one

[@ukgroucho]

@@vic321344 No the roof does NOT have a yield of 90W that would be ludicrous. If I recall the exec stated 1.2Kw max yield and that kinda stacks up with a modern solar panel (on a house) generating 300+ watts max.

[@juliandavies7890]

I want one as soon as it is available. Now that is really a genuine self charging car.

[@eZU4nQsWN9pAGsU38aHj]

Same!

[@lachlancook6718]

I really hope they bring this to market in Australia. I can’t think of any country in the world where this concept makes more sense, than here in Australia and we really need some more options

[@mhainswo]

Have wondered for a long time why manufacturers didn’t add solar panels to cars anyway, these guys deserve to succeed.

[@manuell3505]

This is probably just nonsense. Solar power is no party to the energy consumption of a car. First visible flaw is the specification of a specific model. If the technology was actually useable, it would be a method that exists separate from any vehicle. But before it even approveably works,It's already bound to a brand... Let me guess: the solar panels ad 1-2% to a charged battery.

[@guisteh11]

You will be surprised that there have been solar powered races for a long time.

[@manuell3505]

@@guisteh11 (In the desert, with cars that you can lift with one hand, and solar panels that look like wings)

[@guisteh11]

@@manuell3505 All I'm saying is, it has been done before.

[@chrishart8548]

Cost and weight to name a few reasons manufacturers don't add them.

[@marzymarrz5172]

This is a perfect commuter car for folks who live in the southeast US. No megalopolises. My daily commute of 10 years was 3 miles each way. I don't even want to think about how much $ I would have saved with this car.

[@stelioskatsoulis1125]

I like the fact that there are no optional extras with the car. It makes a logical link with the last time that happened. It was for the Ford Model T which was a revolution. So probably this car, indicates a new revolution, based on nature and not on numbers. Way to go SONO MOTORS !

[@drunkenhobo8020]

Back in the first Fully Charged video on Sono Motors, I was highly critical of their claims of how effectively their car could charge using solar panels - they went for basically the ideal situation at the equator. But they seem to have revised the numbers a bit, so I'll have another go. With a 190 mile range from a 54 kWh battery, that implies the "70 miles per week" would need around 20 kWh. That's 72 MJ. 72 MJ in a week averages out to 120 W. At Munich's latitude you receive on average throughout the year something close to 120 W/m^2 from the Sun. With solar panels being around 20% efficient, you'd need 5 m^2 of solar panels to get that 120 W. The car has 7.5 m^2 of solar panels but of course they're not all pointed towards the Sun, so that would be further losses. But yeah, their numbers actually seem to make sense this time, or at least a lot more sense. Although I'm still sceptical as to how well the solar panels will function at such an oblique angle, and how much of a nuisance road dirt will be. And of course, don't park in any shadows - difficult in a city!

[@marc0523]

Thanks for throwing some numbers at their claims. I was also a sceptic at first, still wanted one, but saw it as a gimmick. I am glad they have improved their design, it looks like a viable option for city driving now.

[@1stSilence]

Actually their numbers have risen. Originally the average Km per day was 15.3,. In this video, they are talking about 17 Km per day on average.

[@mcswainy]

I love the idea of this car and the fact that they are working hard on it. But I share your scepticism. Optimisation of solar panels should really be a priority. If they removed some of the panels from the car and gave customers a simple way to rig them somewhere with consistent sun exposure. Attach an additional battery to fill up etc etc.. They could be multiple times more useful. However not everyone has a roof available so it's ideal for them I guess.. I hope they succeed, and don't get swallowed up by a big greedy legacy manufacturer!

[@AleksandarStefanovic]

Thanks for presenting the math. I think that, while it seems like "measly" 120 W, I think that people overestimate how much energy they use daily. This car would definitely not be suitable for suburb-ridden USA, where the commutes could be 20+ km in one direction, but it is fine for Europe, where you cover shorter distances, and usually sit in some traffic (slow traffic meaning less use of energy, especially with good regen braking). I think that people need to get ahold of the notion that these average 120 W do not eliminate charging completely, but rather dramatically decrease it, to the point where it becomes non-issue.

[@vic321344]

In reality the complete Sion roof just delivers 400Wmax, but mostly under 90W. The sides delivered nearly nothing, so they were switched off. So you will never even come near the necessary 20 kWh/Week. Lucky if you get 5kWh/week in a hot bright summer. Thats the equivalent of an ice cream cone. If you dont use your air condition to cool down the heated car.

[@scottburton414]

I like the flexibility of the architecture; charge from the sun and/or from the wall, charge as you drive, and an energy source for another EV or for your house trailer or tent! All this in a capacious attractive package. Canada needs this vehicle!

[@vic321344]

And it is an illusion. The sun delivers around 1.2 kW per sqm max. Solar cells dont have an efficiency of over 50%. You need at least 15kW to drive the car.

[@kaleidoscopeallie]

Love that this is happening. The one unanswered question in my head is. . . am I gonna have to wash it by hand then and with what sorts of products. Can you just imagine that you put it out to rent and somebody thinks they'll be nice and take it through a car wash and it comes out ruined? What sorts of wear and tear issues need to be factored in? Does the charging go down when it gets dirty? What happens if I live in Paris and it gets lots of scratches. . . etc etc etc Would love to hear about those sorts of practical bits.

[@TKW94]

The interior looks sleek and attractive, the solar integration is a phenomenal idea, but I'm really hoping they find a way to make the solar panels either virtually invisible or can custom shape them into the natural contours of the car so it's not super obvious where the solar panels are placed. I really like the direction the car is going overall, it's just the solar panels that I'd like to see some work done.

[@AdlerMow]

If they perfectly match navy blue instead of matte black, they would became almost invisible. If they use glossy paint even more so.

[@garrygballard8914]

It's about time someone came up with this.

[@chrishart8548]

They already did it doesn't really work. All that cost and weight to get 89w is just not worth it. Just have separate panels.

[@xiebaiqin]

BYD launched a solar panel EV back in 2004, but the panels can't transmit enough energy to power the car.

[@markjones6873]

This is the car for everyone that lives in a victorian terrace. Don't have to worry about where to charge.

[@mentality-monster]

If you think you're going to be able to charge this car from solar whilst out of the sun in the uk from October to March you're really not up to speed on how poor the efficiency of solar is in the UK. We have 8 south facing 335 watt panels, so peak power generation of nearly 3kw. There are days in January where we don't hit 1 kWh if it's cloudy. Even with direct sun all day that would only increase to 3 or 4 kwh. At best it will augment your cable charging, not replace it. (We live on the south coast and are, allegedly, the town with the most hours of sunshine annually on the mainland.)

[@joeblack4026]

exactly and that crowd is huge!

[@ahaveland]

@@mentality-monster I think you need to check the difference between kW and kWh... 335W x 8 gives 2.68kW max theoretical, and x 8 hours gives roughly 21.44 kWh, or about a third of a 60kWh "tank" max. Of course, winter charging in the UK is poor when overcast and rainy, but vertical panels in bright sunlight in the cold can still pack a punch. Every free kWh helps, and if you have solar on the roof, you're laughing even more...

[@vic321344]

@@ahaveland The complete Sion roof just provides 400W max, but most of the time just under 90W.

[@mentality-monster]

@@ahaveland Lol, I know the difference mate, no need to patronise. I've been monitoring the charts of our victron unit's solar production for nearly two years, we have near perfect conditions here and in direct sunlight in the winter we are averaging around 2kWh generated per day. A good day it's 4 a bad day it's less than 1. I'm not knocking the idea, but I'm saying be realistic. You are not going to drive 100 miles a week in the winter living on a victorian terraced street without plugging in. Jack was getting 80 Watts in the video and it was in the sunshine!

[@markhemzy8433]

It's definitely a step forward and as someone who lives in a terraced row of housing, it goes some way towards being a solution to the problems of where to charge.

[@vic321344]

Solution: Large battery, fast charging once a week.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

This will definitely solve a lot of problems for the average consumer who might not be able to install a charging socket in their driveway, who might also not have a nearby charging station.

[@vic321344]

@@danielwhyatt3278 So you want to charge the car with the average 90W yield you get from the sun? Good luck.

[@DaffyTheDuck42029]

That’s awesomeeeeeee I really hope they keep their progress up on making the best electric cars ever while being absolutely eco-friendly yet super affordable, this could truly be THE future in our transportation! Hopefully they make different models and styles so that it suits everyone.

[@brettjasonheadinventor]

This is a perfect car for short trips. Running around town makes more sense in a EV than any ICE. Having it charged by the sun is better still. Best channel on KZbin. Good work.

[@MikeHarEV]

I'm really pleased to see how this has progressed since the last video. based on the last video, I didn't hold much hope of the Sion making it to production but this is getting more and more realistic. As one of the many UK residents without a driveway I wish this company all the success it deserves. I hope it makes it to a dealership of some kind for me to test drive sooner rather than later.

[@timmurphy5541]

I am definitely entertained. It's what I want. I know the inside feels very basic but that doesn't worry me.

[@FFVoyager]

Me neither - mind you my first 4 cars were 2CV's!

[@Kimoto504]

Funny how being basic and functional is seen as a negative and we'd rather pay excessive prices for gadgets/toys that we rarely use. Said gadgets/toys even add to the resource intensity of EV's in the short term with manufacture and long term with wear/tear, repair, supply chain, disposal, etc... which is what they're supposed to be reducing.

[@timmurphy5541]

@@Kimoto504 I understand why "bling" makes people feel good and I can imagine quiet well that this car has very little of it inside. No matter how poor one might be one likes clothes and shoes and things in ones house that are attractive. This might feel like the oddly shaped/styled shoe in the discount shoe shop that one cannot like in spite of intellectually knowing it fits and enables the process of walking and is affordable. Without the emotional connection one would only buy such a shoe out of desperation maybe and some of the people looking at the Sion don't feel desperate. On the other hand I quite like the Sion from afar. I think it could do with seats that weren't black/grey though.

[@nicdensley4104]

That car is soo well thought out. The future is exciting too - as solar cells get higher efficiencies - future cars will need even less plugging in.

[@vic321344]

Nearly nothing on this car really works. Thought out? Maybe. Reliable work? No.

[@sameerhussain2579]

I was stressing for years on why there is electric cars but not the ones that are fully solar. Thank you for this lol

[@DebCampos]

I need this car!! I don't care about the looks, as long as it takes me from point A to point B, it's for the environment and it saves me money!! Please bring it to the US!!

[@andrewcumming4018]

Now you are talking. This is wonderful, I'm still hung up with the idea of sharing. I always keep my car in perfect condition and it's always clean. Others using it won't care as much as I, so it will probably get scratched on the bodywork and used like a bin inside. But, I just had a thought, I could rent one when I needed a car and not have the worry of owning it. I no longer need to own a car. This idea has merit. Well done Jack another great piece and well done the young guys developing it.

[@roybruce6423]

*I don't know who needs to hear this but stop saving all your money. Invest some of it if you want financial freedom*

[@richarddavid9790]

Investing in crypto now should be in every wise individuals list, in some months time you'll be ecstatic with the decision you made today.

[@stanleygodson779]

@@richarddavid9790 Most intelligent words I've heard.

[@martinphillip297]

Crypto is the new gold

[@frankburleson7691]

I wanted to trade Crypto but got discouraged by the fluctuations in price

[@jamesshanee]

@@frankburleson7691 That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like Mr George Brian

[@PALOsvk]

I have personally contacted Sono Motors in 2017, I was very interested in this car. I have almost paid full price 20 000 Eur. The next year they have promissed to start serial production and DELIVERY STARTS in 2019 ! (I still have brochure pdf on my PC). Nothing happened in 2019-2020-2021 and I could not wait anymore for "cheap EV". I bought 3 years old (19 500 km on odometer) almost new Hyundai Ioniq with 250 km range for 19 800 eur in full specs (leather heated and ventitaled seats etc) and already did another 17 000 km on it with my family. We are now in late 2021 and SONO Motors say that production will start in 2023. Can you believe it?

[@vic321344]

You paid 20k for vaporware and a nice brochure pdf? Are you serious?

[@dhirenderkumarcarandgadget5520]

Every body talking about Tesla but You make me happy by sharing this video

[@darrenskjoelsvold]

This needs to come to the United States. Seriously it's just enough for a great many times and it could help so much to clean up the air.

[@grambadamba]

Finally some Sono Motors content again :)

[@latheofheaven1017]

What a fantastic little car. The cynic in me wonders whether the big manufacturers are just waiting to see how Sono goes, before jumping in (finally) with their equivalents and putting Sono out of business. I'll be in the market for an all electric car in about 5 years. Looks like I'll have a lot of choice. But I may have to go with a Sono just out of appreciation for their pioneering. :0)

[@200Nora]

Once it is fully ready and available for the average human, I see my old 77 years old self 4 years ago now driving a car like this. Let me get back to work and by the end of three years, I pay it in cash. Good job!

[@maniksidhabhambure6676]

Congrats, these vehicles should be made globally. Great job !

[@patrickjr11]

Well, I want one. And it occurs to me that as it is bi-directional if it is plugged in but not going anywhere, you can use the solar to boost the solar on your roof. why would you not want that. As a second car - run about, it makes the most sense of any small EV car I have seen

[@ignorasmus]

Agree mostly - except I don't think it a 'Small' EV. Seems to be somewhere around the size of Ford CMax.

[@vic321344]

The solar system is expensive. To produce and maintain.

[@briannjoroge2344]

The quality of these fully charged videos is just insanely good! The video, the music, the sound, the presenter...everything is so refined!

[@shrimptopian3392]

Except the background research, sono is a scam

[@tsanteri]

Yet they talk about "11 kilowatt-hour charging". Amateurs.

[@talkandplay]

@@tsanteri I did wonder why they seemed so excited about 11kW onboard AC charger..hardly a new thing.Maybe i missed something. Great video though.

[@tsanteri]

@@talkandplay It's not about the value, but the unit. :P They're calling it a 11-kWh charger. Call me pedantic, but I'm so tired of people mixing up kilowatts and kilowatt hours. Could be worse, though, I guess - at least they didn't use "kilowatts per hour"! :D

[@talkandplay]

@@tsanteri Well i guess they have to get excited by something but this company's future is far from stable at the moment, i would not recommend anyone putting down the 500 euro non refundable deposit

[@PandaKnight52]

Yeah this is the affordable car Australia needs!

[@PhilDodd]

I'm not sure of the practicality of the solar panels in Aus. You'd have to park it in the sun to get any charge benefit. Surely that would end up being lost in the aircon required to cool the cabin back down. With that matt black paint job it would get crazy hot in there. I guess you could leave a leg of lamb on the back seat and use it as an oven.

[@impactstudio1735]

The cheap solar-powered car Thanks to SONO SION I am Product & concept Designer In 2000 It was my Idea But I am unable to make this Prototype Due to lake of my resources Now I am very happy in 2021 to see my old idea in Particle from thanks to SONO SION In car Industries nobody thinking to make low cost and Eco car to save the world Go Green Thanks

[@nicennice]

With what is happening in the energy market at the moment and only going to get worse - talk about the right product at the right time. Really hope they succeed.

[@keelferm]

Ever since you reviewed this car a few years ago, I've been willing this to succeed. Sadly, I believe that it won't be on sale in the UK initially. This is my all time favourite EV, closely followed by the I.D. Buzz

[@yorkyone2143]

Really looking forward to solar paneled EV's. Only concern would be stone chip/scrape/vandal damage to cells on bodywork.

[@chrishart8548]

And cost!

[@TsLeng]

Ioniq 5 has one on the roof. The correct and only place to have one.

[@bryanlewens2068]

I live in a rural village. This would be great as a communal means of trips to nearest town and potential battery storage for the house

[@oumarh.gassama8063]

This is what we need. A totally sharing-economy focused approach. Add sustainable supply chain and circularity emphasis in the mix, and we got to the perfect piece for a properly implemented de-growth tool - perfectly balancing out the perceived loss of consumption growth with providing all necessary features to compensate for moving away from ownership to sharing. I simply love this concept - not just the awesome technical implementation but the context around it.

[@PeaceChanel]

Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste and Thank You for All that you are doing for World Peace.. 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ 🌷 ☮️ ❤️

[@smoothsilk47]

What a brilliant car, let’s hope it’s soon available to buy...I want one right now!

[@jmills1549]

Me to, good design

[@jasongooden917]

Imagine having a dash that looks like that and you pull up next to a cop at the light

[@JackScarlett1]

😂😂😂 “Officer it’s air purifying!!”

[@leifhietala8074]

I've said it before, it bears repeating: V2G is the way to make WAY more homes solar-ready. The vast majority of the time, you will not use a significant fraction of your vehicle's capacity in your daily commute. Plugging in to utilize the vehicle as a load- or rate-leveling tool is just smart leveraging of a major asset you've already paid for.

[@kushalraj93]

Yes but with V2G you will also be using up the charge cycles far quicker than when you'd be just driving. With better battery technology that will also be a non problem soon and V2G will truly kick off then.

[@leifhietala8074]

@@kushalraj93 That's definitely true but keep the cycles shallow and in about the 50-70% range of the pack's total capacity and they don't affect overall lifespan nearly as much.

[@vic321344]

V2G is useless. In daytime, when the alternative flickering power is delivered, you drive around. In the night, when the car stands, there is no demand for V2G.

[@aholestol]

V2G makes a lot of sense if you have solar and the car is connected most of the day. For example I am retired and need a car to run errands, but my current EV just sits still 90 percent of the time, I can charge it from solar , but cannot use the car,s battery during grid high peek hours in the evening and morning. The Sion will fill this gap, Hope the NEVS factory survives the Evergrade economic collapse, or they can be able to produce the Sion elsewhere!

[@vic321344]

@@aholestol So you buy a car to leave it standing most of the time in your garage? Buy a cheaper battery storage and a cheaper EV. Both together are cheaper than the moss-Sion. And nobody knows hoe NEVS will produce anything in empty production halls, where you only find rats and spider webs.

[@sarbajitdas7659]

Superb car should be sold worldwide Love from india

[@gyommr]

This needs to come to Australia! We get SO much Sun that is underutilised!

[@TadeuszCantwell]

It's nice to see some innovation and forward thinking in the EV world. Most companies seem to be doing there best to make ICE and BEV blend together with looks and features to slow the transition and not strand their ICE factories in the near future.

[@linmal2242]

Yes, they are the dinosaurs about to be exterminated by Tesla !

[@eezawyrdo3052]

Depending on what other cars come out in the meantime, I would definitely consider this. I like the no nonsense model and spec options. I'd like a real world, average day in Britain to test it's solar charging rates though as the figures given sound a bit optimistic. They might lose a lot of potential buyers only having the black paint option. Maybe there's a way to just have REALLY dark colours or a couple of 'Go Faster', stripes. Also wondered if the solar could run the air conditioning via app on very sunny days as a matt black car is going to be like an oven. Bonus: I got through the whole show without KZbin even once advertising stuff I'd never buy. I had the in-car moss idea years ago: Don't fix leaking windscreen and always park in the shade.

[@artistsmeetfilm6491]

Love anyone that builds a no nonsense, useful car. Hope you get this into the US after you get going in the UK, nice to see great people building great things. Sadly we dont have no nonsense in US. Love the comment "you can even charge a Tesla"... sooo funny 😂🤣😳

[@jedics1]

Presumably you could park it outside your house and charge it from a regular 3 pin socket and the sun at the same time, drastically increasing charging speed without the extra cost of a dedicated charger. That would push it into a suitable amount of daily range for 90% of people, for myself who doesn't drive everyday I might never need to plug it in and don't think I could justify a car without solar panels after seeing this, an average of 70 miles of range added is a week is surprisingly high and more than I usually drive, awesome.

[@itekani]

Love the small chubby wheels. I hope they will be able to meet the demand and survive to make a follow-up model too.

[@mateuszzimon8216]

They have capacity 200 000 car/year in NEWS (Ex-saab) factory

[@vic321344]

@@mateuszzimon8216 NEVS is evergrande and evergrande is going bancrupt. The production facility in Trollhättan in Sweden is an empty shell. Nothing in there but rats and dust.

[@itekani]

@@mateuszzimon8216 They are saying in their FAQ that they are only aiming to produce 257000 cars in seven years.

[@Moggster23]

It's coming along very nicely.

[@ReplicOC]

I really like the idea, the sad thing about sharing these days is that, some people, really think they can do everything with the (share) car or scooter, because it's not their car / scooter. We got GO Scooters here, every scooter gets damaged, thrown somewhere, etc etc, it's such a good idea, but (some) people, are just really bad at keeping things nice... I would totally love these kind of cars, especially nice for camping, when you always have electricity!

[@AnotherCoyote]

The perfect vehicle would be a combination of the SONO SION and Charles Greenwood's HumanCar where you can pump levers back and forth to generate all the power you need at any moment to drive thanks to a good gear train turning lots of electric motors and a heavy fly wheel that keeps it turning, and then, of course, the option to flip the electric switch and go back to electric car mode where neither you nor other riders have to burn a calorie to keep the car driving. But I'm going to be following the Sono Sion from now on!

[@Roamor1]

Such a cool car, wish them all the best.

[@Nichen]

Proud to be an investor for this company.

[@abdelrahmankhaled1990]

I am at Egypt , The sun here reaches 50 Degree Celsius at summer , the sun has even spoiled my car's roof paint , I think this car here will produce 40km+ daily range on solar here , its amazing .

[@collinE83]

This is really cool and I’ve been wanting a cheaper vehicle like this. I’d go a step further and still request a small vehicle like this without the solar aspect. For me it would be cheaper and still even more accessible to have basic solar at home and regular EV. Will keep an eye on this company, though.

[@ab-tf5fl]

I think the big scenario where the solar panels are attractive is apartment dwellers who are able to check all of the following boxes: 1) No plug charging available at all (even L1) at home or work. 2) Parking at work (and, ideally, at home too) is outdoors, ideally with direct sunlight for as much of the day as possible (no garage or carport). 3) The owner does not drive much on a day-to-day basis. 4) DCFC charging is available near enough to home that the owner could use occasionally, but would be too much of a hassle to use frequently (you don't want to be entirely dependent on solar panels for charging, since the charging is extremely slow). For others, I suspect the cost of the panels would exceed the benefits, so the sweet spot is probably to make the solar panels an optional, rather than mandatory, part of the car. For people whose cars sit in an underground parking garage all day, the solar electricity producible will be essentially zero. In the ideal world, solar panels on the car could help break the chicken and egg cycle where landlords won't install plugs because residents don't have EVs, and apartment residents don't buy EVs because landlords don't have plugs in the parking lot. But, that will all depend on how cheap the solar panels are, and how much power they produce.

[@truthbeknown8550]

About time someone finally made this car, but now we only need it to be mass produced 100 million units in USA and then 200 million the following year, paid by gasoline tax when 300 percent gas tax is imposed, perfect solution

[@theeuropeancyclepaths8206]

I live in Cyprus. The sun hardly stops. Get these things here asap 👍👍

[@abdulrafi4219]

This is the kind of innovation I've been waiting for years. I always had a crush towards making use of energy to it's fullest and this is one such thing. Kudos to you.

[@rwhirsch]

it's crap...it's a gimmick. solar power is not that dense.

[@jirislavicek9954]

@@rwhirsch It's not that dense, but it's better than nothing. It has a 1.2 kWp of solar panels, the geometry and orientation of the panels effectively cuts this value to +- half. But still, when car sits unused, it trickle charges the battery, over a whole day it could add a significant portion of the capacity. When you need travel far, there's always your wallbox.

[@rwhirsch]

@@jirislavicek9954 i teach physics...there is at most 2 square meters of panel directly facing the sun at any given time on this car...and i'm being generous...which at 20% efficiency (and i'm being generous) would be 400w of power in full sunlight. let's be generous and say that it gets 5 hours of full on sunlight (that is a high insolation value on earth)...so that would be 2 kwh of charge in a day. it might give you 10km. that sucks and is hardly worth the cost of producing this...but yes, technically it is better than nothing.

[@jirislavicek9954]

@@rwhirsch I agree with you. There's no doubt that the physical limitation cannot be broken and the charging will always be weak. But I still think it's a good idea. This car by its design is meant for city and suburban use. It's not going to swallow hundreds of kilometres every day. 10 km for free is a nice top up, it could be 1/3 of this car's daily use. The car will charge itself from dusk till down even through difusion ligh and even when driving. It's like having a petrol car where you get petrol dripping to your tank for free all day, you still need to go to petrol stations but every little helps. Another advantage I can see is maintaining the battery in cold weather. Same way as todays drivers and motorcyclists use solar battery maintainers when their machine is out of use for a period of time. The only two disadvantages I see is the cost of incorporating the solar cells into the car's body (the cells themselves aren't that expensive) and more complicated crash repairs. Also the look could be questioned. Apart from that I think I would favour the solar panels to some "cool" infotainment and sofisticated riding modes on this class of car.

[@markschuette3770]

yes the mini van is the prefect shape for an elec. car!

[@Oponu-Ayirada]

Africa , Australia, FL, AR, UAE and other countries with sunshine ☀️ should encourage this massive technology

[@peterrockell1527]

This car would fit my uses pretty well and more to the point it would open up EV cars to those, like me, that don't have the luxury of off road parking. It'd also be interesting as a possible alternative solar panels on house roofs and a power-wall at the same time, if you can park it on your drive, of course :-)

[@CarlyzClozet]

I'm so excited to see a car that offers so many benefits for the owner and the environment. I pray they will be successfully put into mass production. I will definitely be on board to purchase one!!!

[@billyfyre158]

Vaporware. Always two years from production. A few show cars is all what they have achieved.

[@timointrouble]

Exactly what the market needs! I have no use for a car with 400 HP, motorized doors and a silly fart mode. Especially as an urban car it makes so much sense!

[@vic321344]

Nobody wants underpowered eggs on wheels.

[@celestialmedia2280]

Affordable,360 solar charge, matte black The true electric car ⚡

[@TheTractorjaws]

If this gets released in Ireland, I'm getting it!

[@amconsole]

The old “why don’t they put solar panels on EVs and have the sun charge them?” idea. Why not do some research and see if it’s been tried before and what is the theoretical maximum charge such a car would be able to put into the batteries if it were covered in panels and parked in the sun? There are even some well researched KZbin videos on the subject. Spend 5min and look it up, please.

[@MarcCoteMusic]

Well, Sono IS doing the research - and they seem to think it will work for those people with very short commutes. Not everywhere, perhaps, and certainly not for everyone, but there is no silver bullet... as is usually the case, many things will offer many solutions for many people.

[@bimblinghill]

Maybe you could have a think of the potential benefits. I don't really care if the panels make a significant dent in my mileage when I'm using the car regularly. My issue is that I park on the street, and depending on where I'm working I might commute to a project by bike and therefore the car sits parked for ages. This concept solves that - instead of worrying that it's flat when I get in it again, I know it's fully charged. A game changer for me.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Vans,Buses,estates and MPVs perfect formats... Though i can see the estate agents rubbing their hands and boasting of parking streets with a south facing aspect🤣 along with academy schools.

[@vic321344]

Research is already done. The sun delivers around 1.2 kW per sqm max. Solar cells dont have an efficiency of over 50%. You need at least 15kW to drive the car. Spend 5min and look it up, please.

[@vic321344]

@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 Aptera is not a car, but a bike with a shell. Recharging the 50kWh Battery with an expensive solar system, that yields 90 Watts on a normal day is quite challenging. And please dont use the aircondition to cool down the overheated car.

[@chrissavage5966]

So great to see something other than yet another £100k luxury EV barge....well done Sono, and the very best of luck getting this to market. I do wonder how successful the sharing will be though - we are such a selfish bunch on the whole.

[@dessieb123]

the future of motoring is this car, hopefully the faster the technology/production the better for the environment

[@TheNightwalker247]

This car would be so useful on our farm. Especially with the power outlet. Perfect size to go to the city for small trips

[@evolv.e]

Awesome! ☀️

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

I love what this company has done. I think this car is incredibly and I want one. It would suit my needs perfectly. I work from home modt of the time but occasionally I have long drives. The size battery and all day charging would probably mean that I would never have to plug it in.

[@planktonpivot]

Will there be a right hand version when it comes out, or will we have to wait?

[@claudespoliakoff3388]

Excellent, even matte black will prevent blinding other drivers by sun reflection

[@duarteolival4177]

I love that green air filter, great car, will buy one!

[@RikHeijmen]

This lovely company did promise this car to be in production from 2016 onwards. The projected price was €16k back then. In 2018 the second prototype has toured Europe and it would be in production in 2019... Nowadays the promise is 2023 and €25k. I miss the tough questions: where will it be produced? Is there expertise int he team to scale up? Just as Elon Musk said: building a prototype is the 'easy' part. The hard part is the scaling of production.

[@shrimptopian3392]

28.500,- now and the price will go up to 35.000 before it is produced

[@jluis333]

Maybe it will be like that trip to Mars. We long for it and have the prototypes but we can't get on with it. The only thing that is certain is that the sun is still free (for now).

[@freddoflintstono9321]

It strikes me as the perfect office runaround. It's cheap, flexible, and for in-city driving you don't need a mega range. As a matter of fact, when we start in a few months we may just hop over and have a look at it.

[@jeromemercurio5407]

I am intrigued by this car, the concept, the price and the proposed availability. I am 85, I currently own a 2018 Toyota Corolla LE, and would consider buying one, knowing that the charging infrastructure in the USA is ramping up. I applaud the entrepreneurs for their foresight and spirit!

[@jeromemercurio5407]

I also hope when it comes to America it will meet safety standards,

[@sharonbraselton4302]

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[@mikek2218]

Very cool and I've been following their progress for some time. But how about a review of Aptera, which is doing something similar and is far more efficient.

[@robenglish416]

And only 2 seats if I’m not misinformed! But it’s is a nice car, I admit that, don’t know the price though and I need 4 seats and a decent trunk!