Squad Mobility, an Breda, the Netherland-based startup, announced Monday the SQUAD Solar City Car, a two-seater solar electric vehicle (SEV), after three years of development.
Optimised for both private and shared mobility use, the SQUAD Solar City Car aims to bridge the gap between cars and two-wheelers. The SQUAD Solar City Car will be available in 2023 for €6250 (ex VAT) and can be pre-ordered now.
Squad Mobility states, “The Solar City car is surprisingly spacious on the inside and offers enough room for two (tall) people plus luggage. Like a small living room on wheels with two comfortable chairs, large windows for a panoramic view, a well-arranged dashboard with space for your bag or laptop, cup holders, a phone holder, and a USB charger. Getting you dry and safe to your destination. The SQUAD bridges the gap between cars and two-wheelers. A city car that you can drive from the age of 16. Easy to operate, drive and park. No more parking hassle, traffic jams, or range anxiety.”
Safety aspects
The Dutch company says that the two-seater car is designed to withstand the wear and tear of heavy use. The light electric vehicle fits into the EU vehicle category L6e. A more powerful L7 category version (70 km/h) will also be offered at a later stage.
The new car offers space for two passengers sitting side by side (4 persons in the L7 version), and a storage compartment in the back.
The vehicle is equipped with three-point seat belts and a full crash structure at the front and rear. The tires act as natural bumpers, preventing damage to body parts
“Squad is stable because of its width and low centre of gravity, also during rain and snow, over tram rails and curbs,” says the company.
The SQUAD Solar City Car has a footprint of only 2.4 m², meaning three such cars can fit into one parking place. The car can be driven without licence from the age of 16 in several EU countries.
Battery, range, and features
The SQUAD is powered by two, 2 kW, rear in-wheel motors (4 kW total), powered by four swappable 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery packs.
According to Squad Mobility, the solar panel on the roof provides a range of up to 20 km on sunny days.
On top of that, a 100km range will be provided by the swappable batteries. It can reach a top speed of 45km/h (28 mph).
“As the average person in this LEV segment drives 12 km per day, this is enough on most days,” says the company.
The batteries can be swapped when vehicles need a quick recharge. Various parameters like battery state of charge and state of health, maximum discharge rate, cell temperature, and misuse indicators like water damage or excessive G-forces are monitored and are available to the operator.
The company will offer a smart charging & swapping station for reserve batteries to fleet operators. Other charging options include charging from a regular power socket and DC charging directly from locally installed solar panels.
Combining low CAPEX and OPEX with the capability of remote diagnosis, SQUAD provides essential vehicle data like operating conditions, charge levels, tire pressure, location, etc, 24/7 for efficient fleet management.
Price and subscription
Right now, the company has four pre-order options:
- Regular production – €50
- Pioneer version – €500 (for production numbers 101 to 1000)
- Squad Signature Edition – €5000 (for the first 100 in production)
Subscription and/or lease models will be offered next year with a target lease price starting at €100 per month.
As of now, the company does not have an estimated production date for markets outside the EU.
Squad Mobility: What you need to know
Squad Mobility is founded by two ex-Lightyear employees, Robert Hoevers and Chris Klok, who share a vision of an affordable Solar Car for everyone.
Together they have more than 40 years of experience in mobility, varying from scooters to motorcycles, FIA Formula E, Renault, Piaggio, Solar Cars and even flying cars.
