The query I’m all the time requested after I point out something associated to photo voltaic vitality is that this: why isn’t the expertise as ubiquitous because the solar?
So at this time I’m excited to share the information that solar-power transport firm Sono Motors is deploying its tech on a bus for the primary time — in partnership with the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (Munich Transport Firm, MVG).
You most likely know Sono Motors from its work constructing Sion, the photo voltaic electrical automobile. The Sono photo voltaic expertise replaces conventional paint with proprietary built-in photo voltaic panels that may kind for numerous functions. Not like autos with rooftop photo voltaic panels alone, it comes with 456 photo voltaic half-cells on the hood, fenders, sides, roof, and rear.
I sat down with Laurin Hahn, co-founder, and CEO, to ask concerning the scarcity of photo voltaic deployment up till now, and discover out concerning the firm’s newest partnership.
He defined that the explanations for photo voltaic’s gradual begin have been value and inefficiency:
10 years in the past, photo voltaic was simply too costly and too inefficient. Now, we have now seen costs come down by 80% to 90%, and effectivity going up by roughly 40% to 50%.
Buses get the photo voltaic therapy
At the moment the corporate is deploying its photo voltaic expertise as a diesel bus retrofit answer. As Hahn notes, “There are millions of buses in existence. And they won’t be put away tomorrow.” So, step one is to scale back the diesel consumption of present bus fleets.
Sono Motors’ photo voltaic bus trailer will quickly hit the roads within the Munich metropolitan space, providing financial savings of as much as 2,500 liters of diesel per 12 months for a medium-sized fleet of 300 buses. This might result in an annual native CO2 saving potential of greater than 6.5 metric tonnes per bus.
Every trailer comes with 20 semi-flexible particular photovoltaic (PV) modules, offering over 2,000 watts of vitality to energy the autos’ battery and electrical masses, corresponding to heating, air flow, air con, and the trailer’s steering system.
Moreover saving diesel, the extra electrical energy stabilizes the battery’s vitality provide. This extends its service life and reduces upkeep prices. The vitality generated is monitored on-line utilizing built-in software program.
Sono Motors has already signed greater than ten letters of intent and contracts with corporations corresponding to MAN, easymile, and ARI Motors for the reason that starting of 2021.
The Sono photo voltaic expertise is appropriate for integration into present autos and in the course of the manufacturing section of producing.
When e-buses are factory-equipped with Sono’s photo voltaic expertise, the extra vary could be generated instantly via photo voltaic energyon the roof and sides.
Hahn defined that this reduces the standstill instances for charging processes and protects the battery via a relentless charging course of. “In consequence, the e-bus can function longer.”
The Sion solarEV remains to be on monitor

The corporate nonetheless plans to roll out the solarEV, publishing information of their improvement progress on their web site every fortnight.
Hahn shared, “We’ve been very clear about our automobile improvement, together with what’s going nicely and what’s going not so nicely.” The corporate is thus far unaffected by the trade’s provide chain woes, however is monitoring the scenario intently.
The Sion prices a mere €28,500 ($31,600). The corporate expects to start out manufacturing within the first half of 2023. There are over 15,000 reservations valued at $385 million.
It’s an incredible day for photo voltaic tech, and it’s an incredible day for the surroundings.