The new Sono Sion has been presented in its definitive production version. Sono Motors has revealed what its first electric solar car will look like. A model whose serial production will begin in 2023 and promises up to 245 kilometers of solar autonomy per week.
Sono Motors is working in the right direction to materialize its dream of manufacturing and marketing a solar electric car. The design and development process for the new Sono Sion continues to progress. To the latest announcements made by the company we must add the presentation that has just taken place. Sono has revealed the production design of the new Sion.
The final design of the first solar electric car of the company is now a reality. The definitive vehicle that will end up reaching the market has been shown within the framework of the “Celebrate to Sun” event and presents some changes with respect to the validation prototypes created to date by the brand.
The definitive design of the new Sono Sion
How has the design of the Sion changed? The truth is that it is enough to take a quick look at the images published by Sono to realize the improvements and/or modifications that have been applied. The front and rear light clusters are new. In both cases, LED technology is used. The door handles are new and a new sideline design has been incorporated.
Sono has chosen to reduce the number of lines on the exterior and opt for lighter surfaces. At the rear, in addition to the aforementioned renewed taillights, we will find a new tailgate that also opens a rear view camera and a new cover for the charging port.
Leaving aside the outside, if we go into the interior of the new Zion we will quickly find ourselves surrounded by a comfortable, digital and elegant environment. The seats are new and the steering wheel also has a new design. In addition, the brand has confirmed that there will be more colors and trims available for the trims than those shown to date.
The autonomy of the new Sono Sion
Regarding the propulsion system of the new Sion, we are not dealing with a conventional electric car. The body is covered by a total of 456 semi-solar cells
perfectly integrated and that, according to the company, will allow obtaining enough energy to carry out short trips without having to plug the vehicle into the electrical network.
The energy generated by the solar cells will allow increase the estimated range by 305 kilometers by an average of up to 245 kilometers per week. In the bowels of Zion lies a 54 kWh LFP battery. A battery whose main purpose is none other than to power a single electric motor.
Under optimal conditions, Sion owners residing in German metropolitan areas will have to recharge the battery up to four times less than conventional electric cars with a similarly sized battery. By the way, the battery of the new Sono model will allow a maximum charging capacity of up to 75 kW in direct current and up to 11 kW in alternating current. The vehicle will also have V2L technology (Vehicle-to-Load).
Release date and prices of the Sono Sion
The reservation book for the new Sion is now open. The brand has confirmed that, until July 1, 2022, it accumulates more than 19,000 private reservations for its first model. Some reservations confirmed through an initial payment of €2,225. The estimated sale price is €25,126a figure that may vary at the time of the commercial launch.
Serial production is expected to begin in the second half of 2023. It will be manufactured by the Valmet company at facilities located in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The production target for the year 2030 is set at 257,000 units.
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