Solar energy company, our organization, teams up with CHEREAU in a contract signing, preparing to expand into the solar-powered refrigerated trailer market.
In a groundbreaking collaboration, our organisation and CHEREAU S.A.S. are jointly producing a solar-powered refrigerated trailer, boasting 58.9 square metres of solar panels. This innovative venture paves the way for climate-friendly mobility, reflecting the growing market demand for medicine, deep-frozen products, and fast food.
The solar-powered refrigerated trailer is set to premiere at IAA Transportation 2022, where it will undergo testing. This development is a testament to the technical feasibility of integrating customized solar solutions into high-volume series vehicles, such as trailers. Recent advances in solar technologies for transportation, including high-efficiency flexible solar panels and energy management systems, have made practical energy capture on moving vehicles possible, even with surface area limitations.
From an economic perspective, the solar integration can yield significant operational cost savings by reducing fuel or grid electricity consumption, particularly for fleet operators with high utilization rates. The premium segment of the automotive and transport market increasingly values solar integration for both sustainability and branding advantages, allowing for potential margin premiums. However, initial costs include solar module procurement, customization, and integration into vehicle architecture, along with advanced energy management systems. The cost-efficiency balance improves in regions with high solar irradiance and favourable electricity pricing.
Long-term economic viability depends on the durability and efficiency retention of the solar cells and batteries over the vehicle lifecycle. Ongoing research focuses on battery degradation and PV materials to ensure the system's long-term performance. Strategic deployment, such as optimising solar array configurations and system sizing, can improve cost-effectiveness and resource utilisation.
Sono Solar, the solar business unit of our organisation, aims to make every vehicle a solar vehicle. The organisation's solar technology can achieve energy savings of up to 80% compared to diesel in high-volume series production on refrigerated semi-trailers. The technology is developed for seamless integration into various types of vehicles, including trucks, trailers, vans, and buses.
The solar trailer's "CO2 backpack" is approximately 6.5 tonnes of CO2 and can be offset after a short runtime of less than one year. This innovative collaboration between our organisation, CHEREAU S.A.S., and The Reefer Group is a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future.
Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of our organisation, expressed his pleasure at the opportunity to collaborate with CHEREAU towards this shared goal. Sono Group N.V., the organisation's parent company, is traded on the OTCQB under the symbol SEVCF, and is on a mission to accelerate the revolution of mobility by making every vehicle solar. The solar integration in the trailer provides an additional 9.8 kW peak, potentially saving approximately 3,400 litres of fuel per year per vehicle.
In conclusion, the collaborative production of a solar trailer solution by our organisation and CHEREAU S.A.S. aligns well with current technological capabilities and market trends. It offers measurable efficiency gains and operational cost reductions, making it both technically viable and economically promising, provided the system is optimised for the specific operational environment and usage profile.
- The solar-powered refrigerated trailer, a joint production of our organization and CHEREAU S.A.S., is poised to revolutionize climate-friendly mobility, especially in the sectors of medicine, deep-frozen products, and fast food.
- Implementing solar solutions in vehicles can lead to substantial operational cost savings, as it can reduce fuel or grid electricity consumption, particularly for heavy fleet users.
- The incorporation of renewable energy, specifically solar, in the premium segment of the automotive and transport market is increasingly valued for its sustainable and branding advantages, offering potential margin premiums.
- As the solar cells and batteries retain their efficiency and durability over the vehicle lifecycle, ongoing research emphasizes battery degradation and PV materials to ensure long-term system performance.
- Sono Solar, the solar business unit of our organization, strives to convert every vehicle into a solar vehicle, developing technology for seamless integration into various vehicle types, such as trucks, trailers, vans, and buses.
- The solar trailer produced by this collaboration between our organization, CHEREAU S.A.S., and The Reefer Group stores an approximate "CO2 backpack" of 6.5 tonnes, which can be offset in less than a year, contributing significantly to a more sustainable future.
