Electric car covered with 330 solar panels can recharge as it drives

Sono Motors, which was founded in 2016, wants the Sion to be versatile and hopes to allow the car to be charged using solar energy as well as conventional outlets.

The firm has earmarked a 2019 date for mass production at one of its German plants.

Some 5,000 people have already placed orders for the electric vehicle, it claims.

Prices for the Sion are tipped to start from €16,000 ($18,540/£14,320) next year.

The all-electric vehicle will offer a range of around 155 miles (250km) before the battery depletes completely and it needs to recharge either via solar power or using a wall plug, the company said.

Sion was designed originally as an environmentally conscious car, but will also feature a number of feature designed around comfort to help it compete with other modern vehicles.

“We have a seat heater, there is air conditioning, there is a large infotainment system where I can also connect my phone interactively, which means I really have a full vehicle which is very simple, has no frills,” Laurin Hahn, co-founder and chief executive of the startup told Reuters.

Sion also uses moss to ventilate the vehicle.

The Icelandic strain of moss is claimed to have air-cleaning capabilities that can filter dust particles and act as a natural air filter.

Sono Motors said the moss, which is visible on the dashboard to those inside the vehicle, does not need water or other special care to maintain.

The firm originally crowdfunded the project, raising more than $200,000 (£154,000) to build the first prototype vehicle.

Sono previously revealed that there will be two models available — the ‘Urban’ and the ‘Extender’ model.

The car is a six-seater, with three front seats, and three in the back, which can be flipped down to provide more room for storage.

Laurin Hahn of Sono Motors, said in 2016, “We started four years ago in a garage and soon got bigger and moved to a bigger workshop.

“The team got bigger and we managed to finish our first preprototype in early 2016.

“At that time we founded the Sono Motors. Right from the beginning we had the plan of doing a crowdfunding campaign.

“It was always on our mind to make this happen with all the people out there, who want to see the same change as us.”

As well as charging the vehicles, the solar panels can be plugged in to other devices, such as cooking stoves, to provide power.