I like it that they let the car be as simple as it is - I really don't like that premium/luxury-mania that every other car company seems to think is the only way to get cars sold. I also like that it basically is a compact MPV and not one of those idiotic SUVs. Go, Sono - I hope this car will be a huge success!
@@JackScarlett1 - I drive a 2008 Renault Modus - no frills what-so-ever in the interior. At work I often have to drive new premium cars and are constantly reminded of how much in them I do not miss at all in my car. The Sono could be a good replacement, me thinks.
Between "Production Ready" and "In Production" there is a massive gap that's been the killer for many a company, regardless of the business they're in. I wish them the best, but I'm quite cautious with hoping to see these on the streets anytime soon.
For sure. I'll get excited when it's actually in production and available to actually purchase. There are graveyards filled with neat EV cars that haven't gotten to production yet or have just died.
@@MrRiddle0 They have it secured when they pay valmet 500.000.000 upfront, money they cannot get. Valmet can destroy the contract the 1st time sono doesn't do what is in the Secret contract
@@taylorshain12 yeah something about that price also seems unrealistic. How does a start up undercut everyone on price and how do they compete with the big players for things such as batteries and other scarce ev parts.
As a person who has driven a prius for 17 years, I think it is fair to say that I couldn't care less what it looks like. If this thing does everything in the video, I'd happily drive this. We park outside year round, and I am typically complaining about that, but it sounds like this car is better fit outside anyway.
A Prius has everything you need to make an EV apart from the batteries. Maybe someone could make a conversion kit that includes solar panels, batteries etc. Second life Prius's as EV's would be an ecological godsend.
@@antontaylor4530 This is what I feel will happen for many EV's and regular combustion cars in the future. You likely already have some brilliant guys working out of their garage with 3D printers on such universal projects that will undoubtedly change the world. 😊🌎✨
They should add solar panels in the inside of the doors so you can slide them up to cover the windows and in the rooftop to slide and cover the windshield when parked to get even more energy and it also would help keep the inside cooler shielding it from the sun ☀️ i hope this works out for them.
Humanity has changed a lot. I have no doubt the innovations and improvements to the way of living will continue to evolve and work for the best interests of everyone on our planet. 😊🌎✨
It's nowhere near being a green car if you factor in how the electricity for charging is produced. Plus factor in the costs manufacture and eventual breaking up and recycling. Plus recycling of the battery metals won't be cheap.
I live in Vermont and we'd buy it for our young family of four if they can make it through the well-known production challenges. It would replace a 2010 Toyota Corolla...if it would ever die!. We live in town and are very close to one of our jobs. A typical day for one of us is well under 20 miles. So it should be able to do that day in and day out in the real (cold) world. And contrary to some perceptions about Vermont, there are amazingly sunny, dry and cloudless days in the deep of winter, albeit with a low-angled sun. And in town we do well with front-wheel drive if we have really good snow tires. And I should say, we're in very southern Vermont, about 10 degrees warmer than where most people live in Vermont up near the center of the state and Burlington.
OMG! At long last, there is a company out there that understands what most people need & want. Have been waiting for this vehicle to be officially launched. When it's available in the UK, I will definitely be putting my name on the waiting list. And thanks Jack for the very positive video 📹 👍 😀
I've always loved the Sono Sion and am stoked that it's coming to production. One of the reasons that I love it is quite simply because in the body of this one car you have the evidence that destroys most naysayer arguments against EVs. They can't complain about the price. They can't complain about charging time. They can't complain about charging infrastructure. They can't complain about practicality. They can't complain about range. They can't call it "just a city car that's good for the shops". This car has 190 miles of range which accounts for at least five days of average use. For the 90% of time that it's sat still doing nothing it will actually be drawing as much solar energy out of the Sun as it can manage. You don't even have to plug it in overnight. You just expose it to the Sun while your in a shop, at work, watching a movie, going for a swim, etc. Trolls will be apoplectic with rage at the fact that it doesn't do 1,000 miles per charge and doesn't fill the battery on two minutes of exposure to candle light. But, there's no cure for stupid.
It's still fairly expensive to buy. From the looks of it the closest equivalent petrol vehicle would be something like a Dacia Jogger, and at €16k that's an awful lot cheaper than the €30k they're asking for this.
10 years of development are bit much! Who will repair and service these cars with parts? What if you bay this car and it will go the route of the EV Go. Also without CCS fast charging ? I think if it would come with the promise to later sell a CCS fast charging upgrade kitt for it , that would allow at least some fast charging until the batterie gets too warm.
I hope this company prospers and I think that this is the wave of the future when it comes to autos, thanks for this video your humor made my day complete!
@@stevec2196 you can still charge it at a charger, and you could easily get a couple kilowatthours a day which is at least a 10 miles or so. That might not be enough for you but it’s plenty for my parents for example who occasionally drive and not that far and this prevents them from having to plug in which they can’t because they have to park out on the street. So it’s not for everyone but it’s perfect for them.
We'll always have skeptics, doubters, and doomsayers when it comes to events, human rights, and innovation. The same things have been said about each generation of people, computers, GPS devices, Smartphones, black/gay/lesbian rights, Renewable energy, hybrid cars, electric cars, Google, about every major OS update, every influenza or scare that shows up on the news, and the ever evolving ways people can earn money online by simply posting videos. We live in new times. It's in our nature to grow and change, and it's my feeling that humanity will always continue to do so. You can't change the opinions of another if they're convinced they are right. You can only Appreciate them for whom life has lead them to become and wish them on their way while you carry on, pursue your dreams, and live your best life. 😊🌎✨
I hope this, or something like it, becomes available in the United States too. This is exactly the kind of electric car that I have been waiting for. Simple, inexpensive, has exactly what you need with nothing that you don’t. As for looks, forms built for function have their own kind of beauty to me. I also had a Scion Xb years ago that I absolutely loved so this car looks great in my book.
I still have a 2008 Scion xB and am truly upset they stopped making them! Toyota quality, great cargo space, room for my 6'3" husband to drive or ride, and GREAT gas mileage. It's also got the look of a shoebox on wheels, but the only thing I really hate is the ridiculously low clearance it has. Because my son misjudged the depth of a dip, I have at least $1,500-2,000 worth of damage to my front end and frame. 😢 Can't afford to fix, can't afford to buy a new car either.
The cost in Europe… which was arrived at based on the European market. There is no reason whatsoever to imagine that a US release would carry the same price. Look at the US MSRPs of the other cars with which price comparisons where made in order to get a clue. In actual fact it is at the very low end of pricing for electric vehicles in Europe, and that price point is not a coincidence, but rather by design as part of their marketing strategy. Therefore it is reasonable to think that a US release would be priced at an equivalent level for the US market, at the very low end of MSRPs for electric vehicles in the US… The lack of bells and whistles is actually a plus in many people’s books, being as lots of frivolous features mostly only serve to increase maintenance costs and indirectly limit people’s ability to handle repairs themselves, while also lowering value retention. Therefore the focus on functionality and simplicity, and the inclusion of highly optimized solar combined with the comparably low price point, make for a remarkably high value proposition. I’m not a big fan of EVs, but hating electric and solar, on principle alone, is simply asinine.
They recently had to revise the price to €29.000 due to covid related supply issues and raw material cost increases, everyone who reserved for 25 grand will still be getting it for that price though.
And by the time it will go on sale it will probably be revised again so that you go from a sub 20k Euro price to a plus 30k Euro pricepoint. Understandable, but for some still unfortunate.
I like it. Always been a fan of the "shoebox" design (Scion Xb, 1980's Chevy Blazer, etc.), so that is a plus for me. I think it looks awesome. If it does what is claimed it does, then I'm sold on it. This would be the first EV I would actually consider. I just hope it doesn't be like Elio Motors, all talk, no product.
Does anyone in the production team actually do the maths on the solar panels? I doubt you're going to get very much out of them in normal circumstances, maybe in the middle of the Sahara!
Love this, wish them well and hope other companies will see this and emulate. The solar on buses idea is also excellent. I remember seeing a video about how much of a diesel buses engine power goes to moving the buses versus powering other systems and it's amazing how much smaller the engines could be if they didn't need to power those systems.
I honestly think this'll do pretty well at that price range. I'd certainly be interested here in the southeastern US. We get a lot of sun here, so it'd do well with range.
I really hope they achieve their price as well as their production goals. Living in a densely populated city part with only a few charging places, this really could be the option to solve the charging issue….
And have you ever asked how it will charge in a densely populated city where typically the streets have little direct sun light and when you will always have cars parked next to you rendering the side solar panels completely useless? Now, if you lived in the suburbs, maybe you could have the car parked in your driving way and use some sun....
Feels as though that is a car which is likely going to spark a revolution, especially in Countries where there's a lot of sun. It won't be very popular in Countries like Wales though , even with its capabilities in overcast weather. LOL 😅😝 Really cool stuff. I like it. And I agree about the moss in the dash, it's got an elegance to it 😉
Unfortunately, not planned at the moment. This car, if it keeps the 29,900 euro price tag, represent around 39,000 loonies. Not gonna happen I'm affraid...
Great idea and team - absolutely no way this will ever be made in volume (10k+ a year) at an affordable price - if the OEMs and countless other start ups can't do it Sono won't, we've seen it time and time again.
Sadly, you're probably right. Bringing something as large and complicated as a car - let alone an electric one with solar panels - is an EXTREMELY expensive and complex undertaking. Even companies with billions of dollars at their disposal like Rivian and Lucid are finding it very difficult to roll out production vehicles in large numbers, so we'll have to wait and see what happens with this one. I wish them the best of luck though.
I don't know about the "ever" part. At least, I'd settle for a car that had the roof covered in say 3-400 watts of solar, even if the whole body of the car wasn't covered. Anything to eliminate phantom battery drain.
@@duffgaryduff Tesla could but why bother at the moment? Order books full for at least 12 months, customers happy to pay +30% price increase too. Can't make them fast enough.
I will beleive it when I see it actually on the road and used. In fact I would bet that all of the solar energy claims are exaggerated unless you live in Arizona or somewhere similar and I would bet my house it won't be priced in the UK as rumored.
I like the concept very, very much, especially the simplicity which keeps the price down. I drive a plugin Prius now, mainly because an EV with a practical range was about twice as expensive to buy (both used). This car looks like something that may fit my needs perfectly. I drive a moderate amount of km per year, we are a family of four, I have a personal sunny parking space with an electrical connection directly to our house. So that's all perfect. But. Having driven Toyota for about 10 years now, I'm used to absolute reliability, good quality and a good dealership nearby. With the first series of the first car of a brand new company, I would feel too unsure of those things to make the jump just yet. So, I'm going to wait and see what happens when the first 100s and then 1000s of this car are on the road. I'll watch the reviews, maybe find someone close who actually owns one, make a test drive, and then make up my mind. Still, very cool to have started all this and to actually (almost) have brought it to actual production. With the information available now, the concept is very attractive. (One thing to nitpick at: I do hope all the connected-ness cloud stuff can be turned off without any punishment from the manufacturer. I want to OWN what I own. If this sentiment shows my age, well, so be it.)
Hmm, would suggest manufacturers will wait to see what new fuels will be developed. Hydrogen fuel cells are now produced with cheaper, less noble metal "catalysts". We should not forget the exercise is not to produce EVs as such but to end up with carbon zero cars. Batteries EVs won't come even close.
@@t1n4444 H2 for light vehicles is a waste of money compared to BEV. Issues ranging from availability of charging locations, overall energy efficiency, less than 40% of the power used to make the H2 actually ends up moving the vehicle down the road and vehicle cost. BEV have eaten the H2 lunch for this part of the market.
If a solar panel could turn 100% of sunlight into electricity at 100% efficiency, it would still have to be much larger than this car to get any meaningful amount of driving done on one day's charge. Driving even a small car takes a tremendous amount of energy.
The world record-breaking Univ of New South Wales Sunswift solar car has panels with 22% efficiency and traveled 370 miles a day. It is shaped like a regular sedan. Of course it is much lighter than a production car. If we say that the Sunswift were to be much heavier, even if it only got 1/10 of its range, that would still be 37 miles per day, enough for millions of people's daily commutes. Also, please check out the specs for the Lightyear. Even on cloudy days, the range is significant. I used to think the same as you, that this would never be possible, but recent technical advances have changed my mind.
@@fanOmry Educate yourself. You leftists are some of the most misinformed people to ever live. I actually USE solar power. How about do one simple thing...the MATH, eh? If you think a few hundred watts of solar input can charge a car you`re delusional or completely uneducated.
@@lmp9256 Can you do basic math? Do you know anything about solar systems? If you think this can provide any meaningful range from the few panels that might get exposed to the sun under even ideal conditions in only the 6 optimal charging hours in a day, well....maybe you should buy a small solar system and get a lesson in actual reality.
I'll have one in that 2nd heart beat! This IS the technology that will change lives. At last, a proper, versatile, economic, affordable green EV. The future is here.
Great start for solar cars, would be interesting to see how it really does for average families. We do about 150 miles / week in our leaf currently. Love the bi directional charging!
Brilliant, about bloody time & came from two youngsters , working from a shed, amazing 😉🍾🥂 It's a shame some great British minds can't make something similarly priced & as technically brilliant I'd love one! ✌🏻🇬🇧 I'd buy one of these or something as good or better, which is British .. come on you British Engineers, jump to it! Big Cat Company's watch out 🤪😉🍾🥂
I was on my college solar car team for Sunrayce '97. It felt at the time like an intellectual exercise for a day that would never come. That day is here now though. Thanks for the reporting Jack!
This is PERFECT. Every home gets a free battery (the car battery) for home with every car. This is the 'killer' thing for the rooftop solar home. A few kwh over night and a few kwh for the daily drive, or rush hour. From a 65kwh EV battery that is topped up daily. NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT HOW GOOD THIS IS. This car makes the solar rooftop effective 24/7. In an electric world with CENTRAL power plants, then the entire grid has to be rebuilt, plus the number of power plants. THAT IS $BILLIONS AND $BILLIONS AND $BILLIONS OF money and time and manpower and financing that is saved. The BIG money will hate that the ENDS of the grid will be able to put excess energy into the grid. 40% of the grid is the home. If 40% is now going into the grid then 80% of central power is NOT NEEDED. This is fantastic if only half true now, in the future it will terrify big power supply companies. In the future the car will be able to trade power and stability with the grid for money. The money will be in the grid, hahaha.
I'm really happy to see they are about to go into production as Fully Charged has been covering this EV start up from the beginning. This is the affordable EV so many have been waiting for. I hope their production triples in a couple of years... so many more people can afford this and it will go a long way to help the mission to transition our transportation to renewable energy!
We’ve been pulling for these guys for a long time - so excited to see them get to this stage. Hopefully I’ll be back over there for a full review of the finished article soon!
@@johnchoice1371 Or if the car's bodywork was damaged. Anyone who knows solar panels will be aware that they are very fragile and the internal wires can break. Might have to rely on plugging the car into a charger until you can get it mended. There again where would you get it mended? Perhaps a brief word with your insurer might be wise before you buy? Another idea which turns out not to be too practical after all. Thank goodness BMW are about to flog their new hydrogen fuel cell car "quite" soon. We'll be spared the battery thing.
@@johnchoice1371 You can plug it in to charge whenever you want £21k plus 70-150 miles free fuel per week is 3,500-7,000 miles per year, ie £850-£1,700 per year at current petrol prices, & the average mpg of 35mpg Own this for 5 years, and that's equivalent to a petrol car that costs £13k-£17k to buy
Nice idea, and I like the moss too. 😊 I don't usually bump into bollards, but often experience others opening their car doors hard enough to dent my side panels, so I'm concerned about needing to possibly replace a whole side panel if/when this sort of thing happens. Replacement parts costs and availability on new tech need to be considered, but if that was reasonable, then I'd give this little Sun gem a solid thumb's up. Thanks for the preview!
Hey Jack, great stuff as always. Although maybe you have mentioned it at other videos, it was worth repeating about the really important LFP battery chemistry, which is better in terms of sustainability (no cobalt etc), longevity and safety and can always be topped up at 100%, which is important at a solar car, and, effectively, it increases the every day usable range. I sure hope they can pull it through.
@@koolkevin2357 lithium iron phosphate, instead of the NMC, with all the advantages I mentioned. Only drawback is less energy density, which is only needed in performance cars.
I really hope that Sono Motors will be successful in production and sales with their Sion. And a little bit smiling; Henry Ford already knew: "Any customer can have a car in any color they want, as long as it's black."
Its a strange one actually. Darker colours are most expensive, and as for efficiency: a white or silver car stays cooler and thus the solar panels work better
If that could do V2L/V2G with that capacity it’s cheaper than 4 Tesla PW2. I’d definitely consider that as a second car. I’d also be able to earn money by exporting to grid when it’s expensive & importing when cheapest.
Do you think the margin is worth the additional charging cycles on the battery? They'd only be for free if you could safely assume that the battery will outlive the rest of the car no matter what you do to it....
The prototype is not even finished! They have just assembled their first prototype with the production design, but it is barely drivable. It is a long time until it is production ready. Years of testing and development remains. It is not just to build a prototype and go straight to production.
Love all the effort being made to make EV’s super efficient and affordable. Yes, we all love lightning fast acceleration, but I’d also like to be able to afford one one day.
Just a slight correction there, Rip... actually, no we don't (all love the lightning-fast acceleration). Over-powered, high-acceleration cars have gotten many people killed over the years. Especially teenagers who think they can handle the thrill of a small, "cute", high-horsepower sports car and find out the hard way that they couldn't. Add to that the "adult" aggressive drivers who should know better, but drive solely for thrill anyway, and we have our modern-day highway slaughter that hasn't been curtailed despite the best efforts of engineers developing advanced safety features. It's disgusting to see electric cars being optimized so much for speed & acceleration "performance" over everything else. Even the venerable Nisan Leaf has been made over-powered in its latest incarnations. Somehow I think the industry became over-sensitive to early (false) criticisms decades ago about how EVs were "so slow" and have been trying to over-compensate for it ever since. Once there were batteries that could deliver the current, it's been a race to the bottom on who could deliver the most G's pushing you back in the seat. So... just to pick some nits on THAT point, but YES, it's nice to see a basic EV possibly coming to market that ISN'T focusing on power and so much other ridiculousness as others. Actually, I think they have room to go even a bit MORE basic in some ways, but in any case this is a nice change!
For some reason this reminds me of an American-ism. " Let's leave the multi thousand dollar car out in the weather and fill the car garage with near worthless and unused junk." Not really sure why.
If I needed a vehicle for my small business I'd buy one of these. Low maintenance, self-charging, decent cargo space, with a cheap interior and low price? Yes, please. This thing is the ideal fleet vehicle.
@@_TbT_ So what? Better than having to keep it on the plug to heat or cool it while the power plants put out more exhaust games. Because let's face it. Not even half of most country's electricity is green. Losing solar charge over this that doesn't produce co2 is nothing.
@@_TbT_ It's got just over 1kw of solar on it, are you saying it's going to burn through what..3-5kwh of battery (almost 10%) to run the ac for a few minutes before driving? in sunny months assuming 7-8 hours of sunlight the solar is enough to 0-100% the 50kwh battery in about a week. unless you're pounding 50km+ a day on this, you will not have to charge it very often at all. if this is a fleet vehicle being driven a few times a week, and parked outdoors, i think you could safely not worry about charging.
@@MrChadwickingtonz 1kW might be peak. But as there are panels on both sides and the front, almost always there will be panels in the shade, so no peak. Apart from that, many cars are parked in garages. No charging with the car in the garage. In big cities with high buildings, the car will be in the share full time. ACs and heaters can and will use 5-7 kW when working full force. Driving will use 16kWh/100km, which is not exactly "peak efficient" (that would be at about 10kWh/100km). Damaging any solar part will make replacements more expensive. I like the Sion as a car and especially more affordable EVs are desperately needed. But that solar thing? Is unnecessary and will bring nothing useful to the table. Make it cheaper instead and maybe offer colors. Keep the rest. Would be a "better" car. Again: solar on cars is a dead end.
@@Enforcer_WJDE cars can be charged with 100% renewables (tariffwise). And I am not going to start to explan how that "electricity sea" works, where you put 100% green electricity in on one end and use the same amount of electricity somewhere else. I really like and support solar, btw. Just not on a car, where there is just not enough square meters. Put much more of it on a house roof and REALLY charge the car only with that. That certainly is a better way.
Yeah going to call BS on this one. Those solar panels are behind some sort of protective layer and they are basically vertical on most of the surface, they would generate hardly any power at all and probably wouldn't even offset the extra power cost of having to cart them around (their weight). If they had them only on the roof I would think they were actually trying to be practical in some way, but the fact that they are on the sides of the car too make it clear this is just for appearances not for actual practical use.
I don't remember last time watching a video about a car (the fact that this particular car is so cool makes this even better) was that pleasurable and fun. Thanks Jack!
@@cibuya ...said no-one in the UK who has solar panels on their roof. Yes, you're not going to get Sahara-levels of output from them, but they're definitely not useless!
@@theelectricmonk3909 I did not mean useless but with their production footprint why not use them in places where they compensate their production energy in less time? Unfortunatly people in southern UK where its most picturesque and expensive would not like massive solar farms. The issue on cars is they don't get much sun in garages, dense urban areas, and if they do, there is a massive heat build up by energy absorption which would most people want to cool the car down with AC and consume the gained energy.
@@cibuya From what I've heard & read; we don't need massive solar farms; if every UK property had grid-tied solar panels on the roof (or, ideally, was entirely comprised of "solar shingles" - not sure what they'd be called in the UK, given that shingles is a nasty disease & not something we put on rooves...) then the solar input on a "normal" day would be more than adequate to meet our current power needs. Of course, with no-where to store it, it would be hugely wasteful and expensive - but then, that's why the National Grid are investing in power storage batteries - both chemical and mechanical types.
Yes, me please, me please, me please! I've loved this car since you first showed it to me Jack. It couldn't be more perfect in boot capacity and as I have a beautifully sunny parking area next to the green directly outside my home which has no driveway meaning I can't have my own charger it's just what I need. We never have elaborate cars and as our dear old Roomster just got written off we're going electric with a used Hyundai Ioniq, sadly the 38kW, really wanted the old one but got out voted in the rush for some wheels. Then in '24 we're going to chop that in for the more practical MGZS '22 plate. None of which we can really afford but it will let me have my taste of all the fun gizmos. Then, hopefully, this wonderful machine will be around for us to revert to normal (it looks like the Roomster in hippy form!) and fix our finances in retirement. Wonderful concept, I'm so glad it's coming to fruition for them! Great report Jack, been eager to know how this was coming along, thanks 👍
@@minischembri9893 At least I'm under the impression Valmet Automotive will manufacture it in Uusikaupunki (in Finland). Valmet Automotive has been announced as the manufacturer which, I think, was mentioned in the video too. :)
I love the thought of having it as both a battery and PV panels (yes I appreciate with limited capabilities when compared to dedicated separates). Can you imagine 1 million of these feeding back into the grid....
@@jasonfournier Unless you live in a land of perpetual sunshine, with a dust free atmos then solar panels are a silly gimmick. Mono crystalline panels (black) are just about 20% efficient at best. If only a section of a panel is in shadow or very dusty/dirty then the output is vastly reduced. If only a slight "bit" of damage then entire panel is affected and output is, again, vastly reduced. Would imagine the insurance would be quite high what with costs of repair to bodywork and replacement of a panel. Chapter and verse on-line.
@@jasonfournier Yes which is why I stated what I stated, but if you need car anyway it doesn't hurt that it can add a little range to itself. If you go by the old addage 90% of cars sit doing nothing 90% of the time, as a remote worker who goes into work 1-2 times a month there's a very real possibility I would never have to charge the car. I'm not deluded enough to think I can start running my white goods off it 24/7 but if I can use it's battery for load balancing combined with off peak tariffs then it might well be a solution.
Personally I like the concept, there must be many many cars out there that only do short mileages most weeks with an occasonal longer trip and something like this could fill that market. Having said that, it is a very hard industry to join and survive the first decade in so the harsh reality is that they are statistically more likely to be a market disruptor (not a bad thing) than a stayer, not a criticism, just a reality. I can’t see there being any shortage in demand, keeping up with it at a profitable cost will be the challenge and I wish them well as the established companies will be well served by a good crack around the head. My own feeling is that the self charging is a nice idea but maybe a bridge too far for a startup manufacturer and whoever brings in a very simple and cheaper EV without it will be the real winner. I’m sure self charging has a future but there is already a huge challenge changing public perception aroung longevity without adding it as a complication.
They could make a cheaper version without the solar panels and it would still sell too fast for production to keep up. Before you say it's ugly, think about the price and the people who can afford this but cannot afford a prettier car. Also look around at what other EVs are available at this price or similar. The whole point of a car is the freedom and practicality it provides. It's not a handbag. This car is a winner.
Absolute genius!. I watched the video of the prototype test drive last year and was very interested, so seeing the finished product, seeing that amazing price and everything else the car can do, I'm just blown away!.
@@johnchoice1371 Of course it is!, an EV the size of an ID:3 for nearly £10k less (and that is for one with a smaller battery that the Ios), that can also contribute to it's own charging. Who on earth would want that?......................... 🤔 😂
I’d love a car like this! Fingers crossed Sono will do a RHD version some time soon. I’ve been waiting for cars like this to come along and in desperation have been looking at small vans as an option. My car is just a way of getting me, my friends and stuff about the place. The flat level entry boot is a big plus too.
I'd definitely buy one of these if they ever get to market. Imagine no fuel bills, and no worries about where and how to charge your EV. This should do very well here in Australia!
The solar rating is overstated but it's a practical way to extend the smaller battery if you drive ~30 miles/day. Still plan to charge every week or 2.
@@frankyflowers There are at least 3 of these styles near production so that's pretty real. The important concept is that solar might be cheaper and lighter than battery for people with short daily drive or apartment style living.
This would be my favorite car to buy in Europe as someone who would probably only be there part of the time as I wouldn't worry about going away for three months and the battery being low. I really like that they saved money by using LFP batteries that don't mind charging to 100%
I have two Hyundai Ioniq electrics (2019 &2020) currently and I love them! Wish these were currently available, and wonder if in the US there will even be a chance for me to get my hands on one of these Sono Sions. Hopefully, these solar-powered electrics gain popularity and continue to improve. I love the Aptera too, but the Sono is perfect for a family. While my Hyundais are basically fully electric Hyundai Priuses. The Sonos reminds me of the Toyota Matrix but electric and covered in solar panels. 🙂
Happy to see them reach this far…hope they get to the finish line and are a success. Coming from a tropical island where there’s plenty of sun 52 weeks of the year, I’ll be looking for one in about 2 yrs.
From the moment I saw this car the thing that put me off was the solar panels on the doors. It's such an un-optimal place to put solar panels - perpendicular to the Sun and a 3/4 chance of it facing away from the Sun depending on how you park. I really can't imagine they add anything significant to the range and just add unnecessary complexity, weight and cost to the car. It's so weird.
The solar cells are lightweight, cheap enough and so even in sub optimal positions the cells will contribute. This is probably easy to measure so I am sure that it has been done thoroughly
For now it looks like you can pre-order the car for ~30k EUR, which is a bit more than what Jack stated, with production starting H2 2023. So it looks like we're a bit away from seeing them but an interesting concept for sure and definitely what we need more of going forward: affordable EVs.
The "too good to be true" shoe will probably drop once they're in the hands of the customers. Or some crash tests. Or something. If I'm wrong and it all turns out well: I'm perfectly okay with that and I'll love it. I just... don't think so just yet.
Great concept and now reality. I believe though, that it won’t be made in right hand drive and there are no plans to bring it to the UK. That is a real shame. Hopefully I am wrong. I would love to see it over here as it would suit my needs in a car and at a price I could afford. It would be lovely to know that I could actually own a car that really does “self charge”
It's not that they're ruling it out, but the first stage is to get things rolling with a single left hand model. If the car and the company properly take off, I'm sure a right hand drive version will come - later.
Very interesting. There seems to be more room for innovation with evs and its great to see something like this bear fruit. Wonder if crumping the wing messes everything up, or does each panel independently feed into battery? Also how hard would replacement of a wing be? ( Sounds like I'm always bumping, I'm not....but others are, all the time)
Accidents would be my concern too (mostly other people backing into my vehicle on taping it from the rear in parallel parking situations)….I wonder how much surface dings, scratches, dents before the solar panel was toasted and in need of replacement….and then how much to replace individual panels? Also, since I’m moving to northern Florida in the US….does it come with air conditioning in it’s “bare bones” design?
Having seen the damage to door panels which three people I know have experienced (returned to parked car from supermarket or even workplaces car park), I was immediately worried about the solar panels. Good to hear theh are toughened, but it would surely cost a fortune to repair the cosmetic damage?
We need more cars like this in the US as well I mean the only thing we have to look forward to right now is the Aptera but I really hope they consider a US version of this car as well
Except that Aptera is a motorcycle not a car. Aptera is limited to 500 lb payload capacity and is only 2 seats. It is 88 inches wide to overcome stability issues. In order to get the Aptera full solar charging one must sacrifice the large rear window. So really more of an apples to oranges comparison.
I’ve loved this car since you first showed it last year. At that price point, it’s a no brainer! Having said that, are there any plans to release a right hand drive version for the U.K. market?
For anyone interested: The Sonos Sion is no more. Sonos cancelled the project after failing to get the needed 100 million euro investment and losing 104 million euro in 2022. Sonos will now focus on their B2B-Sales, selling solar panel kits for busses and trucks. So best (and only) chance to get a Sion is waiting for them to sell of the prototypes.
The first car I would love to own. I hope they will make it available here in the US. It has everything I would want from a modern car. Enough range for daily driving and to reach charger on longer trips, very spacious for it's class, sharing feature, reverse charging and of course solar.
Another great video Jack. As cheap as the price seems against other EVs, the Sion is still a pretty pricey proposition for a small city car at over $35,000 Australian plus import duties etc. I expect if it were sold here it would be at or near $40k at least. Crazy when a Mazda2 is barely over $21,000. You'd need to sell an awful lot of Sun Juice to break even. 🤷
Get rid of the green stuff in the dash. You can use services like Turo to rent out your car right now. Bi-directional charging from an EV isn't new. The real test will be how well do people from different perspectives and needs take to this car? You're all for it. You're also in shape. Converting someone over to their car who isn't all for it, might be on the fence about EVs with limited range, and/or who aren't in shape or who have handicaps may have an entirely different impression of it. Perhaps a real world test ride with people you don't know should be incorporated into your raving reviews.
Will be "made in Finland". In a same factory where they made Saab 96, 99, 900, 900 & 9-3 Cabriolet, Porsche Boxer, Fisker Karma (first true electric sports car), MB GLC, MB A and near future they start making MB-AMG GT...so a good legacy to make it well manufactured car!!! I hope it will be a success!
Have been following Sion for a couple of years now, well them and Xbus. Be really interesting to see when they finally get production going and how the mainstream car makers will react.
The boot space is larger than many EVs out there costing almost twice the cost! I love the ability to sell power. Something all EV manufacturers can easily add. It’ll do very well in Australia. 👍
This inspired to me think about cheap, hard interior plastics. And I had an idea. What if panel is made out of a frame with same shape module sockets across the dash. And those modules are made out cheap finish initially, however car company includes or offers high quality skins for them. I've had dbrand and other manufacturer skins on phones and some of the best ones feel premium to touch and to look at. This can be partnership with company like Dbrand which would further reduce cost for base car. In fact this can even be car model based: ultra budget one would not have removable modules but instead simply shaped panel, with easy shapes built in to which skins are easy to apply. Next model would have removable modules that can not only be skinned but also replaced with different materials or mood lights. Heck, with 3D printing so common these days, 3D models could be readily available with the release of the car.
