Over a year before the vehicle’s production is scheduled to begin, German startup Sono Motors says it has received 10,000 preorders for its Sion SEV (solar electric vehicle). Most of the reservations have been made by private individuals, around 87 percent of them from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The Sion features a liquid-cooled 35 kWh battery, and a predicted range of 250 km (155 miles). It also offers bidirectional charging technology, which can be used to power electronic devices at up to 3.7 kW (11 kW using a Level 2 plug). Its most distinctive feature: 248 solar cells integrated into the body, which can top up the battery’s charge. According to Sono, in Germany up to 34 km of additional range per day can be generated purely by solar energy.

The SEV will be manufactured using renewable energy by National Electric Vehicle Sweden, which acquired SAAB’s assets in 2012.

Jona Christians, CEO and founder of Sono Motors, said, “In preordering the Sion, 10,000 people have made a clear commitment to climate-friendly and sustainable mobility. A desire for responsibility toward the environment unites us with all these people. We believe in a world in which every vehicle is powered electrically and is shared.”

Source: Sono Motors