Technology company Continental is working with German solar mobility OEM, Sono Motors, on the development of the Sion, a self-charging electric car. As per plans, the self-charging car will be produced in Finland in the second half of 2023, a press release from Continental stated.
The Sion uses 456 solar half-cells integrated into its body, thus enabling the vehicle to charge its battery with sunlight, adding an average of 112 km per week of driving range to the car’s battery.
Continental Engineering Services (CES), the company’s in-house development service provider, has made available an extensive portfolio of products and tailor-made developments for Sono Motors, the release said.
Dr Christoph Falk-Gierlinger, MD, Continental Engineering Services, said the company is particularly committed to sustainable mobility solutions and are therefore delighted to work on a climate-friendly and exciting mobility project with Sono Motors.
The current series-validation vehicles will be equipped with a customised advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and will be provided with software for torque management, climate control and the energy, charging and thermal management of the powertrain.
The ADAS system is expected to feature multifunction camera, long-range radar and rear-view camera, a comfort control unit, software for the central control unit for the powertrain (vehicle control unit, VCU), software for climate control and thermal management of the electric motor, a passive start and entry system and a start/stop button.
Notably, the ADAS system will enable the Munich-based company to comply with the European Union’s stricter road safety regulations for the production approval of new vehicles (General Safety Regulation, GSR), which became effective in 2022.
Additionally, Continental has also been working with Sono Motors since 2018 on the Sion’s 120 kW electric motor, the pre-series vehicle control unit, the body control module and the airbag control unit.
Besides, CES has also conducted a threat analysis and risk assessment (TARA) at the overall vehicle level. Based on the assessment, cybersecurity and privacy goals for the vehicle and occupants were established. Furthermore, a specific process for identifying, assessing and mitigating risks at the electronic control unit level was developed for Sono Motors. This TARA assessment at the overall vehicle and electronic control unit level is essential for all further cybersecurity activities, the press release added.
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