Sono Motors launched a new solar project in public transportation in Hof in the north-east of the German state of Bavaria. A Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 operated by Stadtwerke Hof is equipped with an updated version of Sono Motors’ Solar Bus Kit, a solar retrofit solution for buses.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 has now 16 semi-flexible PV panels lying on its roof. The installed power of the modules in total is around 1.4 kWp. To install the modules on the roof of the bus, double-sided tape was used for the first time, which lowered the total weight to only 50 kg for all materials used in the project. The solar power generated is fed into the battery to support the conventional diesel engine and save CO2 emissions. The first HofBus bus with integrated solar bus kit from Sono Motors has been on the road in the city of Hof since it received road approval from the German Technical
Inspection Agency (TÜV). To serve as a comparison, an identically constructed mild hybrid bus without a PV system is being simultaneously operated. Sono Motors states that these comparative figures will make it possible to optimally compare driving performance and energy consumption within a certain distance travelled. The installation was carried out for the first time together with ÖPNV-Service Hagen. The expertise of the company extends to the areas of cabling, repair, maintenance and services for local public transportation.