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Sono Motors has debuted the production design of its Sion, a battery-electric crossover that uses solar cells to generate electricity and extend range.

The Munich-based startup, which trades on the Nasdaq under SEV, pitches the Sion as “the world’s first affordable solar electric vehicle.”

At a Munich event Monday, Sono also unveiled a solar kit for diesel buses that transit services can use to supply power to subsystems such as HVAC and reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

But in the Sion, solar will help refill the batteries that power propulsion. The vehicle features 456 solar half-cells that generate enough energy to add about 70 to 150 miles per week to the range, depending on weather and driving conditions. It’s enough solar power to “enable self-sufficiency on short journeys,” the company said. The Sion’s 54-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery has an estimated range of 189 miles.

Selling point of solar

Supplementing the vehicle with solar-generated power provides up to four times more range than found on autos with the same battery size, said Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors. read more

The largest of the five safety probes covers an estimated 1.3 million Jeep Cherokees from the 2014-20 model years.