Valmet Automotive will produce the Sion at its Uusikaupunki plant; a corresponding partnership between Sono Motors and the Finnish contract manufacturer has already been signed. Valmet Automotive is planned to provide the capacity for the production of more than 257,000 vehicles over a period of seven years. The production phase is scheduled to start in the second half of 2023. Laurin Hahn, CEO and co-founder of Sono Motors, commented on the new partnership:
"This collaboration is another milestone on our journey to delivering the Sion to our ever-growing community. We believe that working with such a reliable and experienced partner is an excellent fit for bringing the Sion to the road while maintaining high quality standards. We value Valmet Automotive's experience in manufacturing premium vehicles as well as their proven track record in electromobility. Together, we are well positioned to deliver on our promise and deliver a climate-neutral Sion to our customers."
Electric vehicle pioneers since 2009
Olaf Bongwald, CEO of Valmet Automotive, adds:
"The collaboration with Sono Motors perfectly fits with Valmet Automotive's strategy, capabilities, and sustainable approach across all business areas. We have been a pioneer in electric vehicle manufacturing since 2009. The innovative solar-electric Sion takes us to the next level, as it is the first fully electric, large-scale vehicle to be produced at the Uusikaupunki plant. In the rapidly changing automotive industry, Sono Motors is a true pioneer. We look forward to supporting Sono Motors in its electromobility goals."
According to the company, Valmet Automotive's facilities in Uusikaupunki will initially enable production of a low four-digit volume in 2023. After that, approximately 43,000 Sion units are to be produced there annually, using 100 percent renewable energy. Valmet Automotive has been a contract manufacturer since Certified as climate neutral at the beginning of 2022Sono Motors is currently building a fleet of series validation vehicles, thus heralding the Sion test program a.
Price adjustment for new customers
According to Sono Motors, over 17,000 direct customer reservations for the Sion were received by the end of March 2022. Starting at 18,500 reservations, the company plans to increase the estimated net price of the vehicle before taxes and subsidies to €25,126. The current price is €23,950 net. The Munich-based company intends to use this increase to respond to the recent increase in manufacturing costs due to higher prices for production equipment and components, as well as for raw materials, energy, and logistics.
“By adapting our pricing to the current economic environment, we can reflect increased costs and continue to offer our customers a completely sustainable SEV at a very attractive price,”
says Thomas Hausch, Chief Operating Officer at Sono Motors. The promised prices for current reservations are not affected.
