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While electric vehicles are becoming mainstream, much of the auto industry is trying to figure out what will be the next thing to conquer as gas engines become a thing of the past. Most likely, lithium-ion batteries will remain in reign as some of the more popular options to power your cars. But in other cases, there exists an alternative energy that very well may run circles around the pre-existing battery-powered vehicles. That of which is Solar Power. Where will EV companies end their dependency on only one sort of electric powering? Will solar panels be able to charge up as it grows sunnier on the outside? Should there be ample juice to attack the streets in the following day? Such a concept is simply enough to become environmentally friendly.

Surely, there were even earlier attempts that can harness the energy of the Sun for automobiles of all sorts. 1955 saw General Motors engineer a miniscule solar energy car. The car itself is also known as the Sunmobile. Sadly, GM was incapable of building the prototype into a fully solar energy dependent vehicle. This is because of limitations in energy efficiency, storage and possibly the weather. Since then, engineers are not yet at the conclusion that ny solar panel can properly generate sufficient power to support the regular usage of a car without being small enough to carry around.

With a car. A Solar Energy Car.

Founder and CEO of German startup Sono Motors, Laurin Hahn, holds true the belief that such a possibility is still explorable and not deplorable. Use solar energy to the max and wrap the whole vehicle in solar cells.

Their Solar Energy Car is a prototype SEV (solar electric vehicle) and it’s a passenger model. They call it the Sion. And it is composing hundreds of solar cells molded into polymer. The cells are able to convert sunlight into energy. From there, the energy is stored onto the vehicle’s battery. Average weather notwithstanding, solar cells are capable enough to generate 1.2 kilowatts a day. This turns into 21 miles of driving range. For most commuters in European countries, that’s suffice enough for an 11-mile driver per day.