Sono Motors will in the future offer its solar panels under the brand name SonoSolar. The renaming is intended, according to the company, to mark its position as one of the leading providers of solar elements for manufacturers and operators of commercial vehicles. The 2016-founded Munich-based startup, which develops solar panels for commercial vehicles to reduce fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions, hatte sich 2023 vom parallel laufenden Projekt eines solarbetriebenen Elektroautos für den Massenmarkt („Sion“) verabschiedet. Als Tochterunternehmen der Sono Group bleibt der Name Sono Motors rechtlich erhalten, nach Außen wird man mit seinen Produkten aber künftig unter der Bezeichnung SonoSolar in Erscheinung treten, heißt es im Unternehmensbericht vom 5. August 2025.
With this
step, the company wants to sharpen its profile and emphasize its exclusive focus on solar technology for mobility, it continues. The message is: SonoSolar provides high-quality solar technology for fleet operators and vehicle manufacturers. This would advance innovative solar solutions in the mobility sector. The solar panels consist of thin, flexible solar cells of various sizes that can be mounted on the exterior or on the roofs of vehicles to contribute to reducing fuel consumption by supplying additional power in sunshine.
Georg Zurmühl, Head of Commercial bei SonoSolar begründet die Umbenennung:
„With the rebranding we want to make our ongoing development visible and foreground the term 'Solar' in relation to 'Motors'—after all, we have not
been manufacturing motor-powered vehicles for quite some time. Instead, we stand as a leading provider of solar solutions for the automotive industry. The new brand name and the logo reflect this change and still maintain the connection to our groundbreaking beginnings.”
Solar energy for every vehicle
At the interface of solar technology and mobility, SonoSolar develops and delivers, according to its own statements, easily integrable solar systems for use across all vehicle categories: vans, buses, trucks, trailers and long-distance coaches. The offering includes, besides solar modules adapted for the automotive industry, for example solar charge controllers for low- and high-voltage applications, digital solar data services, flexible and tailored integration concepts and complete retrofit systems.
With
the solutions, SonoSolar aims not only to reduce emissions but also to contribute to lowering total cost of ownership and increasing energy independence—without compromising on design, weight or performance. The concept prompted the EU Commission in early 2023, as part of Europe’s decarbonization, to boost the concept mit üppigen Fördergeldern.
The business model of SonoSolar rests on two pillars: manufacturer integration of solar systems, so that solar modules are already integrated into the vehicles from the factory; the second pillar is Nachrüstsätze für Flotten. On the website it says: "These are designed for high modularity and rapid installation, thereby reducing the barriers to deployment." The Bus-Solarkit von Sono Motors zum Beispiel wurde Anfang dieses Jahres
