Sono Motors is ending its electric car program and will focus on selling solar vehicle technology instead, as reported by TechCrunch.
The German-based company recently announced that it is laying off 300 employees due to business model changes.
What Drove the Change?
It seems that the change is driven by the high costs of the EV program paired with the company's capital that is dipping quickly. For years, the company has struggled with financial issues, and it even came to a point when it almost shut down until they appealed and got support via a crowdfunding campaign.
The Sion EV Program
The Sion EV program was the original centerpiece of the company that has a consistent effect on their budget. It is estimated that 90 percent of their funding needs for this year is dedicated to Sion EV, which is a five-seater hatchback priced at $25,000.
Also read: New Paradigm Solar-Powered EV Never Needs Charging! Park It Anywhere for More Energy
Selling Solar Technology
Now, the company is moving into a new direction as it now aims to sell the technology they used to develop Sion EV. The technology is a solar embedded into its vehicle. The company will retrofit and integrate its solar technology that includes power electronics and software onto commercial vehicles, like buses and cars produced by OEMs.
This change will be a significant step in the company's business development. By providing business-to-business solutions, the company will be able to focus on creating innovative products in the solar industry.
Currently, the company has 23 business-to-business customers that are piloting their integrated solar technology on a range of vehicles. They are woking with Mitsubishi Europe, CHEREAU, and Volkswagen subsidiaries Scania and MAN Truck & Bus.
Their solar body panel technology can convert sunlight into energy that is stored in the vehicle's battery. It helps make vehicles less dependent on charging infrastructure and supports auxiliary power applications like electricity that used to power a refrigerated truck.
There is a product called Solar Bus Kit that is planned to be released in the second quarter of this year.
The Solar Bus Kit
The Solar Bus Kit is a scalable B2B solution aimed for public transportation. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cities, and it can be adapted to any bus size. The kit consists of an easily installable roof unit with integrated solar cells and bidirectional charging system.
The energy generated can be used to power the electric drive or stored in the vehicle's batteries. When a power grid outage occurs, the kit can provide emergency power to traffic lights or operate as a mobile charging station for other electric vehicles.
As reported by CleanTechnica, the kit may be used on European market's most prevalent 12-meter public transport bus models.
Related article: GM Will Sell Solar Power, Storage Systems Competing Against Tesla
