Collaborative Venture Announced -our organization joins forces with Valmet Automotive to Manufacture Sion Solar Electric Vehicle
The electric vehicle landscape is set to see a significant shift with the announcement of a partnership between Sono Motors and Valmet Automotive. The collaboration aims to bring the Sion, Sono Motors' Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV), into volume production, leveraging Valmet Automotive's expertise in vehicle manufacturing.
Valmet Automotive, a Finnish contract manufacturer and one of the largest in the world, will take charge of producing the Sion at a rate of approximately 50,000 vehicles annually. The production is scheduled to commence in early 2025.
The Sion, with its integrated solar cells across its body, offers a unique feature that extends its estimated 305 km range by an average of 112 km per week due to the energy generated by the solar cells. This innovative solar technology is designed to be seamlessly integrated into various vehicle architectures, aiming to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions.
Valmet Automotive, known for its commitment to sustainability, is one of the world's most sustainable contract manufacturers and certified carbon-neutral as of 1 January 2022. The company, which focuses on electromobility and develops and manufactures battery modules and packs for electrified vehicles, will provide production capacity for 257,000 cars within 7 years.
The partnership with Valmet Automotive represents a key step toward realizing production capacity for the innovative solar-powered vehicle. However, it's important to note that while Sono Motors developed the Sion with integrated solar cells, the project faced commercial challenges.
Sono Group N.V., the company behind the Sion, is on a mission to accelerate the revolution of mobility by making every vehicle solar. The start of production for the Sion is planned for the second half of 2023. To further enhance its sustainability, the Sion will also feature bidirectional charging technology, designed to turn the vehicle into a sustainable power plant on wheels.
Valmet Automotive has locations in Finland, Germany, and Poland, and has produced more than 1.7 million vehicles at its Uusikaupunki, Finland plant since its founding in 1968. The company's production of the Sion will enable self-sufficiency on short journeys due to the car's solar integration.
Key shareholders of Valmet Automotive include Tesi and the Pontos Group, each with a stake of 38.46%. CATL, the world leading manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles, holds 23.08% of Valmet Automotive.
This partnership reflects Sono Motors' aim to scale production of a solar-integrated EV by collaborating with an experienced automotive manufacturer, bringing the concept closer to commercial viability.
- The collaboration between Sono Motors and Valmet Automotive will bring Sono Motors' solar electric vehicle, the Sion, into mass production, utilizing Valmet Automotive's expertise in vehicle manufacturing.
- Valmet Automotive, a Finnish contract manufacturer known for its sustainability and commitment to electromobility, will produce the Sion at a rate of approximately 50,000 vehicles annually, beginning in early 2025.
- The Sion, equipped with integrated solar cells across its body, boasts an innovative solar technology designed to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions by seamlessly integrating into various vehicle architectures.
- With production capacity for 257,000 cars within 7 years, Valmet Automotive, which is also carbon-neutral, will provide the production facilities for the Sion, marking a significant shift in the electric vehicle landscape.
- Sono Group N.V., the company behind the Sion, aims to make every vehicle solar by accelerating the revolution of mobility, and the start of Sion's production is planned for the second half of 2023, further enhancing its sustainability through bidirectional charging technology.
