Is solar the future of EV transport? (Sono Motors interview)

Sono Motors might be on to something. The idea is that if a solar-powered electric vehicle can recharge its battery via the sun equal to a driver’s average commute time, the driver will never have to worry about range anxiety creeping into their consciousness ever again. And that’s the goal of the Sono Sion, the company’s solar-powered consumer vehicle with production beginning in 2023.

“The purpose of this car is to cover the daily average distance driven by a commuter because it’s actually not a lot. I believe in the U.S. it’s about 24 km (approx. 15 miles) and in Europe, it’s 16 km (approx. 10 miles) per day, and that’s actually what we recharge by the sun,” says Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors. “It’s four times more range on a single charge than with any other electric vehicle without solar with the same battery change.”

It sounds like a good idea, but does it actually work in practice?

To find out the nitty-gritty details, we brought Hahn onto the show, who provided no shortage of insight into how this technology works, the benefits for drivers, and even where the potential lies for combining solar with other technologies to create what is essentially a sustainable power plant on wheels.

This is an audio-only version of our episode with Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors. Go ahead, you’re already here – take a listen! But if you’re looking for moving pictures, click here.

Reimagining the all-electric delivery walk-in van – with The Shyft Group

What do you do when you’re given a $1 million check to find an integrated Class 3-5 EV chassis? If you’re working with The Shyft Group, you ask for $8 million more to develop one yourself. The Shyft Group is betting that by designing and manufacturing its own Class 3-5 Blue Arc chassis and bodies

What do you do when you're given a $1 million check to find an integrated Class 3-5 EV chassis? If you're working with The Shyft Group, you ask for $8 million more to develop one yourself.

The Shyft Group is betting that by designing and manufacturing its own Class 3-5 Blue Arc chassis and bodies in-house from the ground up, using well-respected component suppliers like Dana for eAxles and Hendrickson for single leaf-spring suspensions, the company can lead the pack when it comes to electrifying commercial fleets. Considering the company recently secured an initial pre-order of 2,000 units from one of the largest dealer groups in the Carolinas, the strategy looks to be coming up roses.