Sion solar car gets a larger 54 kWh LFP battery and a range of up to 305 km305

Sono Motors has announced a larger battery for its Sion hatchback. The solar car will now have a 54 kWh battery, instead of the 35 and 45 kWh batteries that were discussed earlier. In addition, it now concerns an LFP battery, in which no cobalt is used.

Sono Motors writes on the basis of a questionnaire that more than ninety percent of the people who have already reserved a Sion would like a more powerful and larger battery in the solar car. The Sion will therefore receive a 54kWh battery pack, instead of the 35kWh battery that was discussed earlier. It is striking that during the design phase Sono still doubted between a 35 and 45 kWh battery, but then opted for a 35 kWh battery.

With that 35kWh battery, a maximum range of 255 kilometers was possible. The larger battery allows a range of 305km according to the wltp standard. In addition, it can be charged with a maximum of 75 kW via a CCS charger. The previous battery could be charged with a maximum of 50 kW. The car can be charged to 80 percent within 35 minutes via a 75 kW fast charger. The last twenty percent takes 24 minutes. With an 80 percent battery charge, the car should be able to drive for 240 km.

The new battery is also a lithium iron phosphate battery, or LFP battery. Cobalt, nickel and manganese are not used in such batteries. This would save costs, because cobalt, for example, is relatively expensive. In addition, the extraction of this substance is accompanied by child labor and poor working conditions.

According to Sono Motors, the 54 kWh battery can last for three thousand cycles, or 900,000 kilometers. The new battery has no impact on how much range the solar panels can generate. That remains an average of 112 kilometers per week and a peak of 245 kilometers per week.

The Sion will also have a single electric motor that delivers a maximum of 120 kW and 270 Nm, has a top speed of 140 km/h and is 4.47 meters long, 1.83 meters wide and 1.66 meters high. The car can return energy with a maximum of 11 kW via bidirectional charging. The car costs 25,500 euros, the car is expected to go into production in 2023. Sono claims to have received 13,000 deposits for the Zion.