Sono Motors Pivots to Solar Tech Business: What Happened to the Sion EV?

Sono Motors, a German-based company that went public in November 2022, has announced that it is shifting its business focus from producing electric cars to selling its solar vehicle technology to other companies. The decision was reportedly made due to the high cost of the EV program coupled with quickly depleting capital. As a result of this change, Sono Motors will lay off 300 employees, and COO Thomas Hausch will leave his position.

Sono Motors will now retrofit and integrate its solar technology onto commercial vehicles such as buses as well as cars produced by OEMs. The company has 23 business-to-business customers that are currently piloting its integrated solar technology on a range of vehicles. These solar cells convert sunlight into energy, which is stored in the vehicle's battery, making the vehicles less dependent on charging infrastructure.

The decision to shift the company's focus away from electric cars has been a long time coming, as Sono Motors has been plagued by financial issues for years. The company's flagship product, the Sion EV, has been a consistent drag on its budget, with an estimated 90% of its funding needs for 2023 dedicated to the Sion EV, a $25,000 five-seater hatchback that was supposed to go into production later this year.

Sono Motors got its start in 2016 when co-founders Jona Christians, Laurin Hahn, and Navina Pernsteiner set out to build an electric passenger vehicle that was partially powered by the sun. Prototypes of the Sion vehicle were covered in hundreds of solar cells that had been integrated into polymer instead of glass.

Despite the shift in focus, Sono Motors will continue to be a leader in sustainable transportation, providing companies with the technology to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and move towards a more sustainable future. The Solar Bus Kit is planned for the second quarter of 2023, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Sono Motors.