Following three years of development, Squad Mobility has officially launched the SQUAD Solar City Car – a two-seater solar electric vehicle (SEV) that can be driven in several EU countries without a driver’s license. Designed for both private ownership and shared mobility, the compact SQUAD Solar City Car will soon be able to bridge the gap between passenger EVs and electric two-wheelers.
Squad Mobility is a Dutch startup founded by two former employees of Lightyear, a fellow SEV manufacturer. In addition to solar car expertise, the forty combined years of experience from cofounders Robert Hoevers and Chris Klok include knowledge of scooters, motorcycles, Formula E, and even flying cars.
The SQUAD Solar City Car was originally announced in 2019 as an early rendering that has evolved along the way. Since then, Squad Mobility has moved offices to the south Netherlands and signed an investment partnership with Bloomit Ventures last summer.
Last July, the startup teased images of the production intent SQUAD solar cars, continuing pre-orders.
With its latest update, Squad has officially launched its Solar City Car, sharing specs and pricing before deliveries begin in 2023.
SQUAD Solar City Car starts at €6,250 in several EU markets
The Dutch startup shared additional details of its flagship compact SEV in a press release today including the aforementioned pricing (excluding VAT of course).
The SQUAD solar car is a light electric vehicle (LEV) that is categorized as a L6e vehicle in the EU, which generally only requires a moped license. Due to its classification, drivers can be as young as 14, 15, or 16, depending on which country they are driving in.
Speaking of which, Squad Mobility cofounder Robert Hoevers told Electrek that the company is currently taking fully-refundable, non-binding pre-orders for the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France. Hoevers divulged that the company plans to expand through Europe moving south and east, while exploring opportunities to potentially enter the US market someday. He said there has already been a lot of interest from states like California and Florida to use the SQUAD Solar Car as a neighborhood vehicle.
In speaking with Hoevers about the SQUAD’s compact size, the first question we brought up was the safety of the SEV. Each solar car is equipped with a roll cage that protects passengers on all sides, as well as a full crash structure at the front and rear. Hoevers explained to us that the company added a lot more engineering on the vehicle’s safety than what is legally required for its class.
Specs
The SQUAD Solar City Car provides space for two tall passengers plus luggage, totaling 68 L of cargo space. Large windows provide a panoramic view while the side doors are removable for extra airflow on beautiful days. Other features include dashboard space for your bag or laptop, cup holders, a phone holder, and a USB charger.
The SQUAD is propelled by two, 2 kW rear in-wheel motors (4 kW total) which are powered by four swappable 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery packs. The result is a compact SEV that can travel 100 km (62 miles) on all four packs and reach a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph).
In addition to regenerative braking and 220V charging, the solar panels on the SQUAD’s roof can garner an additional 20 km (12.4 mi) of range a day (EU in the summer). With a footprint of only 2.4 m², you can fit three SQUAD Solar City Cars in one traditional parking spot, plus you can easily cross park it between larger cars like you would a moped or motorcycle.
Uses
In additional to being sold as a private passenger EV, Squad Mobility also plans to use its flagship vehicle as a shared mobility option. EU citizens will soon be able to access an app, find the nearest SQUAD Solar Car, and be on their way without any emissions.
We asked cofounder Robert Hoevers about the SQUAD’s potential in the commercial segment and if his company was exploring those possibilities. He shared the following:
We do get a lot of interest for fleet settings, mainly sharing platforms but also food delivery, repair and maintenance services, surveillance, service and security, inner city services e.g. healthcare, real estate agencies etc.
Looking ahead, Squad Mobility is working on a larger, four-passenger version of the SQUAD Solar City Car that will fall into the L7 classification for the EU. The two seater version is available for pre-order now in four different pricing tiers. If you live outside of the EU, you can pre-order your SQUAD Solar City Car today for no money down … there’s just no guarantee if or when you’ll get to drive one.
We’d love to test one out stateside, I know this SEV would certainly turn some heads in the South Bay of Los Angeles. Check out Squad Mobility’s official launch video below.
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Author: Scooter Doll
Source: Electrek
