Sono Motors and TRE partner on development of chassis for solar-electric car Sion

Solar mobility provider Sono Motors has announced its cooperation with Team Rosberg Engineering (TRE) for chassis development of the Sion.

The chassis, including the steering system, is a central aspect of every vehicle, especially when it comes to driving experience and driving safety.

In the joint project, both companies join forces throughout the development process, from the design and simulation of components and the manufacturing of a functional prototype chassis to the development of the series chassis system. In particular, the partners focused on the design of a safe and robust subframe, which provides sufficient resistance in the event of a frontal crash while at the same time meeting the installation space requirements of the solar-powered Sion.

Founded by Formula One world champion Keke Rosberg, TRE is one of the leading providers in the field of vehicle development and brings many years of experience and expertise from the field of motorsports to the development of passenger vehicles. Sono Motors went for a proven partner when choosing TRE. Already in 2018, TRE was involved in selecting a suitable axle concept for the company's series vehicle.

“For Sono Motors, this cooperation delivers positive outcomes in several aspects,” said Jona Christians, Co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors. “TRE is a leading player in chassis development, incorporating specialist knowledge from racing engineers into passenger-car manufacturing. Furthermore, with a German supplier, we have short delivery distances and short delivery times. Meanwhile, both companies' visions align to drive sustainable mobility forward.”

Nico Rosberg, shareholder of TRE and son of the founder Keke Rosberg, commented, “As a sustainability entrepreneur, it is a particular concern of mine to contribute our expertise to the development of Sono Motors' Sion and to further develop the future of alternative mobility concepts.”

TRE CEO Eckardt Döhrer added, “We are pleased that we can contribute our profound know-how and TRE's more than 20 years of experience in chassis development to the development of the Sion and thus help shape technological progress in future-oriented mobility concepts.”

By using efficient manufacturing processes to produce new parts such as subframes, wheel carriers, and stabilizer bars, the prototype parts already largely correspond in their properties and functions to those in the future production vehicle.

In October of this year, the finished parts were transported to the prototype production facility located in Roding. The TRE chassis systems are already installed in the next generation of prototypes of the Sion, which is planned to be launched at the end of the year. The prototype can be used for tuning runs and road tests.