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Sono Motors Announces World's First Bidirectional AC Wallbox to Go With Its Sion SEV

German startup Sono Motors caught everyone’s attention back in 2017 when it introduced the world’s first solar electric vehicle (SEV) called Sion. Now the company announces the first bidirectional AC wallbox on the market, which enables the Sion to be used as a mobile power plant.
Sono Motors Announces World's First Bidirectional AC Wallbox 6 photos
Photo: Sono Motors
Sono Motors Announces World's First Bidirectional AC WallboxSono Motors Announces World's First Bidirectional AC WallboxSono Motors Announces World's First Bidirectional AC WallboxSion Solar Electric VehicleSion Solar Electric Vehicle
The wallbox can be used for powering appliances in your home as well as other electric vehicles. Moreover, the electricity stored within the Sion SEV can be used to supply your home or to be fed back into the grid itself.
In easier to grasp terms, the wallbox is a small, wall-mounted charging station. What makes Sono’s wallbox so special is the fact that it is bidirectional, meaning it can both deliver as well as feed energy back into the grid.

Sono Motors claims its AC (alternating current) device is 70 percent more affordable than comparable DC (direct current) ones. Using an integrated Type 2 charging cable, the wallbox lets you charge (or discharge) the Sion with up to 11 kW AC.

The 54 kWh LFP battery of the solar car can be charged in five hours, offering a range of up to 190 miles (305 km). When using a fast-charging station, the Sion can go to 80 percent in just 35 minutes.

Sono Motors says the wallbox can be reserved free of charge, but you shouldn’t expect it to hit the market very soon. The company estimates that deliveries for it will begin in 2023, once the Sion goes into production. Price-wise, the wallbox will be in the low, four-digit euro range, according to Sono.

The German manufacturer has teased us with its SEV ever since 2017, when it first announced that pre-orders are available. Since then, production dates have changed to 2019, and then 2020, with deliveries estimated for this year, but the global health crisis changed its plans once again.

Sono offers the community the chance to get involved in the final design of the bidirectional wallbox, as the company has three versions in mind and hasn’t decided on one.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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