The German company Sono Motors became world-famous for developing the Sion, an electric car powered by solar energy. However, due to a lack of funding to support pre-series production, the project was terminated in February of this year, and the company’s focus is now on adapting and integrating its patented solar technology into third-party vehicles.
This business setback could be good news for the environment, since instead of focusing on individual vehicles, the business model has been restructured to serve a wide range of vehicles, including buses, trucks, and refrigerated vehicles.
Its B2B customers are located in countries across Europe, Asia, and the United States, including Mitsubishi and two Volkswagen subsidiaries. However, the major project this semester is the “Solar Bus Kit,” a solar retrofit solution for public transit. If deployed on a large scale, the technology could help decarbonize the sector.
The first bus to receive solar modules has been operating in the German city of Hof, in northeastern Bavaria, since receiving road approval from the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV).
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 model was equipped with 16 semi-flexible photovoltaic panels with a total installed capacity of about 1.4 kWp. The solar energy generated in this manner is fed into the battery to assist the conventional diesel engine and reduce CO2 emissions.
To provide a comparison, an identically built mild-hybrid bus without a photovoltaic system is being operated simultaneously. The figures will allow for a comparison of driving performance and energy consumption over a specific distance traveled.
“We believe that installing our Solar Bus Kit will demonstrate that it is a quick, easy, and cost-effective solution for sustainably reducing public transit emissions,” says Jona Christians, CEO and co-founder of Sono Motors.
“We are very excited about the results of the pilot project. We hope it serves as a model for other eco-friendly mobility solutions,” said Jean Petrahn, managing director of Stadtwerke Hof, the company responsible for operating the vehicle. The project is part of the company’s long-term strategy to promote the transition to electric mobility.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Marcia Sousa. The translation is powered by AI.
