Dutch startup Squad Mobility aims to penetrate the US market with its groundbreaking solar-powered electric microcar that only costs $6,250. Excitingly, it has already opened pre-orders for interested customers ahead of its planned market entry in 2025.
Design
Electrek reported Squad Mobility’s announcement of Squad Solar City Car’s new special edition called “Solar Buggy.” It has a small body design, which the startup defines as a “compact and affordable solar car that charges itself on direct solar energy through an integrated solar panel on the roof.
It only has two seats, tube doors, and a surfboard rack. It features a pair of headlights and side mirrors, as usual for such types of vehicles.
Notably, the Solar Buggy is not really a “car” when it comes to US standards. The US market will categorize this solar city car under the Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) segment. It will limit the vehicle’s speed to only 25 mph (40 km/h) to secure the necessary street-legal status at the federal level.
Notable features
Squad Mobility’s official website indicates that the Squad Solar City Car’s panels can charge up to 22 km/day in the Netherlands, 31 km/day in Spain, and an average usage of 12 km/day.
It also has electric motors and batteries to ensure functionality at times without solar power, such as at night or in winter. It also has up to 4 portable and swappable batteries, with each unit offering a 1.6 kWh capacity.
It also boasts a comfortable high seating position and low dashboard to offer larger space for bags without blocking the front window. The dash features a smartphone holder, USB charging system, and cup holders. The Squad also has a generous storage area at the back, which can be further increased by folding the passenger seat horizontally. It will also offer air-conditioning as an option.
Technical details
TCD reported that the new solar-powered EV has 2kW rear in-wheel motors that generate a combined output of 6.4 kWh from four battery packs. In Europe, two variants of the solar EV come with higher performance options.
Presented below are the technical specifications of the Squad Solar City Car:
| GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Homologation | L6e and L7 (EU) LSV (USA) |
| Frame | Aluminium Tubular Roll Cage with full crash structure front and rear |
| Passengers | 2 Persons (L6 & L7) / 4 Persons (L7) |
| Rear Bench | 2 children up to 1.25 meter (L7 version) |
| Storage | 168 L / 243 L (seat folded) |
| Heating | Standard |
| Airco | Optional |
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | |
| Length | 2 meter |
| Width | 1,2 meter |
| Height | 1,6 meter |
| Weight | 350 kg |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Max speed | 45 km/h (L6) 70 km/h (L7) |
| Suspension | 4 wheel, independent |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Power | 4kW (L6) 12kW (L7) |
| Batteries | Portable, swappable Li-ion |
| Charging | Solar & 220 V / 110 V |
| Turning circle | 6 meter |
| Regeneration | Yes |
| Gearing | Fwd | Reverse |
| BATTERIES | |
| Modules | Swappable & Portable |
| Chemistry | Li-ion |
| Battery Range | upto 100 km* |
| Solar Range | 20 – 30 km / day (in EU summer) |
| Charging | Solar & 220V & Regeneration |
| Regeneration | Yes |
| *exclusive solar | |
| SAFETY | |
| Brakes | 4 wheel disks |
| parking brake | |
| Seat belts | All seats |
| Lighting | Front & Rear |
| Turning lights | |
| Roll Cage & Crash structure | Full Roll Cage and Crash structure front and rear |
Squad Mobility aims to launch the solar city car in the US market in 2025 with a base price of $6,250 before tax. Interested buyers can already pre-order the vehicle without a down payment beyond Europe.
