Squad Mobility has the power to thrive

E-bikes or e-trikes are finding themselves around many corners in the country. I see them often, public transport, ferrying groceries, or grandparents taking their grandkids to school, these vehicles are everywhere, for better or worse.

These vehicles are electrified. They run on batteries and can be charged overnight for the next day’s ordeals. Now, revealed at CES, is Squad Mobility’s Solar City car, which is about the same size as an e-trike.

As the name suggests, these small vehicles run on solar power. They have solar paneled roofs, which provides a clean and free source of energy. These cars are aimed for dense and populated cities. But, here in the country, it’s bound to thrive everywhere. It runs at 25mph–about 40kph–tops, not bad. It’s the perfect kind of vehicle to get around your local hometown or visit nearby places.

Oh my… I can see a slight problem where this vehicle can prevent a parked car from leaving.

And, during times of rain or heavy clouds when the sunlight is reduced, you can plug the Solar City car as an alternate way to charge. You shouldn’t worry about plug-in charging though, as Squad Mobility plans to offer swappable batteries and place battery stations around cities. Which is quite similar to the Gogoro e-bikes, where you can swap batteries in various stations.

The Solar City car is developed by Chris Klok and Robert Hoevers, who both have experience working in Lightyear, a Dutch automaker that is working on solar electric vehicles.

Price of the Solar City car though isn’t exactly affordable. Sure, it can be for some people, especially abroad, as this vehicle will cost around $6,000, about 300,000. Nonetheless, this is an exciting technology. As it continues to develop year after year, we can expect that price to gradually go lower and much more affordable.