Sion from Sono Motors in the test

The Sion is expected to cost 25,500 euros. This is how the electric car performs in the Startbase test.

People could have a Ford in any color, as founder Henry Ford once put it at the beginning of the 20th century, "as long as it's black". By 1927, he is said to have sold 15 million cars, and the Model T was more in demand than almost any other vehicle at the time. At least as far as the choice of colors is concerned, the Munich-based start-up Sono Motors is doing the same as the US American. The Sion, as they call their electric car equipped with solar cells for charging, will only be available in matte black, with just one trim level. But they didn't decide this on their own in Munich; the start-up regularly involves the community.

If everything goes as Sono Motors envisions, the company could perhaps deliver the first electric cars by the end of 2023. They will be charged via the charging station or the solar cells on the car. This makes the vehicle much more sustainable than ordinary electric cars. The finished car will have a range of up to 305 kilometers even without solar support, the maximum speed is 140 kilometers per hour, and the finished Sion will cost 25,500 euros.

For this summer, Sono Motors has first of all launched a major community tour, probably also to say "thank you". Because when an investor suddenly dropped out at the end of 2019, the start-up was still threatened with running out of money. With the help of a crowdfunding campaign and through its reservers, the company was able to save itself once again. 53 million euros came together that way at the time. One more round of financing later, or so it seems, the start-up is on a firm footing for the time being. Most recently, there were even rumors of an IPO.

The start-up's seven-strong event team is currently touring Germany with its two prototypes, stopping off in ten cities, usually for two days at a time. The young company wants to show how far it has already come with the development of its own car. Interested parties can sit in and often take a short test drive in a parking lot, and they also get a small wristband for free.

The Startbase test already shows that many things work very well, and anyone who sits behind the wheel gets a good impression of what driving the final car will feel like. However, there is still a long way to go before the car is approved for road use.

The view from outside

The start-up has attached a total of 248 solar cells to the outside of its Sion. They are distributed over the sides, the roof, the hood and the trunk lid. This means they can generate a peak of up to 1.2 kilowatts, Sono Motors promises. That would be enough to drive the Sion up to 245 kilometers per week on solar power. Depending on the position of the sun, the cells shimmer out from under the matte black paint. A scratch wouldn't harm them, the company says. And even if one solar cell fails, it shouldn't affect the others.

Like its previous prototypes, the finished Sion is a minivan - and looks accordingly from the outside: The trunk lid is completely flat. The rear window is quite small, also to provide more space for the solar cells. The hood is quite short. The simplicity that the start-up boasts of is thus already apparent from the outside. The car will be just as inconspicuous in city traffic as all the other small family cars.

The interior is spartan

Currently, there is not even a start button for the Sion. But the start-up promises that this is still to come, as the request came from the community. There aren't too many buttons in the car, whose fabric upholstery is naturally gray to black. Leather seats are out of the question, at most imitation leather: the company wants to be as vegan as possible. The Sion is primarily intended as a city car for the family, but it might also be something for a craftsman. There is enough room in the seats.

A touch display is emblazoned in the center, which, among other things, can be used to select the radio, set up the connection with the smartphone and show how much energy is currently being generated via which solar cell.

The most striking feature is certainly a bar made of dead green moss, which is inserted into the front amartur behind a pane. This can be illuminated in different colors and is supposed to support the air filters. It has to be replaced every two years, but according to the start-up, that should be easy to do yourself.

It won't work without its own app

Although the start-up plans to include a classic car key when it sells its Sion, it is relying primarily on the Sono app. It can be used to open more than just the car. Owners can also offer others the electricity generated by the vehicle, according to the current plan. For example, anyone who leaves their Sion in the sun for a longer period of time will have their own little power plant. There are connections at the front for charging cables for e-cars, but also a classic power socket.

The Sion is also intended to become a community car. Owners can specify which app users are still allowed to take their vehicle - including at what price per kilometer. They can also set the area in which the car is to be parked again at the end. A small private car sharing would thus be possible.

The driving experience is quite unspectacular

Particularly for those who have never been in an electric car, the Sion might be quite a change. The slight jerking caused by the engine when it is started, which is familiar from gasoline cars, is completely absent. The car reacts quickly at the beginning when the pedal is pressed down. However, it should take almost nine seconds until it reaches 100 kilometers per hour, a speed that the car could not be driven to in the test.

The noise level while driving is still noticeable; the airflow can be heard even at low speeds. The current version of the Sion is likely to be quite loud on the highway. Sono Motors still wants to work on the material for this. In the final car, it should be possible to hear much less of the ambient noise. The front-wheel drive is also noticeable: If you accelerate properly in curves, you will clearly feel it, the car pulls in front instead of pushing from behind. An all-wheel drive is not planned.

The road to the final Sion

The start-up is planning two more prototypes until it has its finished car. There should already be 30 to 50 vehicles of the next Sion. This version will then already have to go through the crash test and various other approval procedures. For the next prototype, the start-up already wants to use series components. The fourth prototype will then be almost the finished version. Sono Motors wants to iron out the last remaining minor details.