Squad Solar City Car: A Solar Micro-Mobility Vehicle

Squad’s small car is entering the market of the Citroën AMI, with a unique feature: a solar panel on the roof.

Founded by two former employees of Lightyear, Squad has developed a small two-seater vehicle capable of recovering part of its range thanks to sunlight.

The car is not yet ready to hit the roads, but the project is progressing. Squad, which is already accepting pre-reservations, plans to launch it in 2023 at a price of €6,250 excluding taxes. In the meantime, the Dutch company might have come up with a more original name, because as it currently stands, this solar city car is called… “Solar City Car”.

The Solar City Car is equipped with two small electric motors delivering a combined power of 4 kW. Limited to 45 km/h, it is approved in the category of light quadricycles L6e. Therefore, it belongs to the family of license-free cars and can be driven from the age of 16 in Europe. In France, light quadricycles are even accessible from age 14.

20 km per day thanks to the sun

The Solar City Car has removable batteries, which guarantee it an theoretical range of 100 km. Mounted on the roof, the solar panel allows an additional 20 km of range per day when weather conditions are favorable. More than sufficient according to Squad, which states that small electric car users drive an average of 12 km per day.

The interior is quite spacious for a car only 2 meters long. Squad has managed to create a small storage space behind the two seats. The dashboard, positioned low and with a flat surface, can also accommodate a bag or other comparable objects.

With this simple small vehicle, easy to maintain, Squad also aims to attract carsharing operators. To do so, the manufacturer has envisioned a battery exchange station, which would greatly facilitate large-scale charging operations. Squad also emphasizes that a fleet of solar-powered cars is a fleet that recharges slowly but surely without human intervention.

A more powerful Solar City Car will come later. Approved in the L7 category, it can reach 70 km/h. In addition to the two front passengers, this version can accommodate two children in the back.

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