First solar car for the city in the making: 'the missing puzzle piece in the mobility mix' This fall, Squad will present the world's first Solar City Car, a city car that runs on solar energy. The founders of Squad are ex-employees of solar car manufacturer Lightyear and see the Solar City Car as the missing puzzle piece in the mobility mix. Ex-employee of Lightyear, Robert Hoevers, started his own company together with partner Chris Klok. “Lightyear is a wonderful project, but we noticed that there is a need for a sustainable and, above all, affordable car,” says Hoevers. The development of microcars, as Hoevers calls them, is still in its infancy and that offers opportunities for start-ups. “How nice is it that we generate, store and consume energy on one vehicle?” Squad's microcar is small: “Our little car takes up two square meters of space and is suitable for two people,” says Hoevers. Three microcars fit next to each other in an average parking lot. On the roof is a solar panel that charges automatically, so that the car can drive up to 20 kilometers. In addition, the microcar has a replaceable battery with a range of 100 kilometers. The first model can reach a speed of 45 kilometers per hour and falls under the L6 category, which also includes four-wheel mopeds. Later, Squad will also bring a more powerful version on the market, which can reach 70 kilometers per hour. "Lightyear's solar car costs about 150,000 euros (excluding VAT) and for many people that is still too much money." Squad's solar cars are available for around 5,700 euros (excluding VAT), or can be rented for 100 euros per month. Sharing platform Squad wants to offer the Solar City Car to sharing platforms. The cars are equipped with a camera, so that the microcar will eventually be remotely controllable. “If one of our cars is parked incorrectly or does not catch the sun, we can remotely return the car to places with more demand or more sun for charging,” said Chief of Design Chris Klok in a press release. Mobility issues Squad wants fewer cars in the city. “You notice a lot of congestion within cities: there is constant traffic jams. By using microcars you avoid traffic jams and you are working sustainably. You consume less than if you were to travel by public transport," says Hoevers. The Solar City Car is intended for people who want to travel within the city to, for example, do shopping, visit friends or take a ride to the sports club. "If people from now on visit the doctor with a microcar instead of a petrol car, you already save a lot of CO2," says Hoevers. In September, Squad will present the first drivable prototype. In early June, Squad signed an investment agreement with Bloomit Ventures, an active investor in Light Electric Vehicles (LEV). After the fall, Squad may want to do another crowdfunding round. At the end of 2022, the company will start production of the Solar City Car.