It’s been three years since the first concept of the SQUAD Solar City Car saw the light of day. Even then, it was a two-seater, compact city vehicle that charged with solar energy. At that time there was talk of a purchase price of 5,750 euros, which has now risen to 6,250 euros (excluding VAT).
In 2023, the solar electric vehicle should be on the road. It can currently be pre-ordered. The start-up behind the company has its roots in Dutch solar electric car company Lightyear. Two former employees with many years of experience in the motorcycle and automotive industry, Robert Hoevers and Chris Klok, have set up SQUAD for themselves.
As they explain, the SQUAD Solar City Car closes the gap between cars and two-wheelers. A city car that you can drive at the age of 16. Easy to use, drive and park. No more parking problems, no more traffic jams and no more range anxiety. The solar panel on the roof ensures a range of up to 20 km on sunny days (Europe). With portable batteries for an additional range of 100 km.
Putting this in relation to the data from 2019 shows a deterioration in the solar range. At that time there was talk of 9,000 additional kilometers per year. Now it’s 7,300 kilometers under ideal conditions. “Thought” means for the SQUAD to let the sun do its work or to charge the portable batteries at a normal socket.
In this sense, the SQUAD Solar City Car is not a classic car, but sees itself as a vehicle that falls into the EU vehicle class L6e. Nevertheless, a corresponding safety is given thanks to the strong roll cage. In addition, the solar electric vehicle has three-point seat belts and a full crash structure at the front and rear.
The interior is also surprisingly spacious and offers enough space for two (large) people plus luggage. “Like a small living room on wheels with two comfortable armchairs, large windows for a panoramic view, an uncluttered dashboard with space for your bag or laptop, cup holders, a phone holder and a USB charger”, as SQUAD in turn indicates. So you get dry and safe to your destination.
As you already know from the SION from Sono Motors, SQUAD also wants to make its e-vehicle available to the masses. The SQUAD is optimized for sharing platforms. It is built to withstand the wear and tear of intensive use. The small two-seater is easy to reach, operate and park. With a floor area of only 2.4 m2, three SQUADS can be parked in one parking lot.
Furthermore, care has been taken to ensure that both the interior and exterior of the vehicle are easy to clean and broken parts are easy to replace. The wheels act as natural shock absorbers that prevent damage to body panels. An additional option is the SQUAD battery wall for quick changing and charging of batteries.
Source: SQUAD – press release