First German Company Granted National Road Approval (ABE) for Solar Integration in Vehicles - A Pioneering Achievement in Sustainable Transportation

First German Company Granted National Road Approval (ABE) for Solar Integration in Vehicles - A Pioneering Achievement in Sustainable Transportation

Sono Group's Solar Bus Kit Achieves Groundbreaking German Road Approval

Sono Group N.V., a foreign private issuer listed on the OTCQB (symbol SEVCF), has made a significant stride in the realm of sustainable mobility with the certification of its Solar Bus Kit by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, KBA) and the Technical Inspection Association (TÜV). This certification marks a milestone for the expansion and use of vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (ViPV) in Europe.

Denis Azhar, Managing Director of the organization, hailed the achievement as a milestone for both the company and the entire industry. The Solar Bus Kit, engineered to be seamlessly integrated into various vehicle architectures, including buses, has undergone extensive testing by the KBA and TÜV to ensure compliance with stringent national vehicle safety and operational standards.

The General Operating Permit or Type Approval (TTG) received by the Solar Bus Kit is the first of its kind in Germany for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics. This approval validates the Solar Bus Kit as a safe and functional solar energy solution, paving the way for broader adoption of ViPV technology in public transport.

The TTG simplifies the approval process for customers, providing legal certainty and cost and time savings. This development is particularly significant as it exemplifies practical use and regulatory acceptance of ViPV technology, helping to pave the way for more solar-integrated electric public transport fleets across Europe and potentially influencing international markets.

The Solar Bus Kit is a retrofit solution that installs photovoltaic modules on the roofs of buses, reducing fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and increasing energy efficiency. By extending range, reducing fuel costs, and decreasing CO2 emissions, the Solar Bus Kit contributes to climate-friendly mobility. The inclusion of the Solar Bus Kit in the KBA's "green list" represents a significant step toward climate-friendly mobility.

This approval enables the commercialization and deployment of solar-powered buses, fostering renewable energy use and zero-emission goals in urban mobility. Germany's rigorous regulatory environment sets a benchmark that can encourage other European and global markets to follow suit, accelerating the trend toward solar vehicle adoption in public transit, reducing carbon footprints, and enhancing energy self-sufficiency for electric buses.

The Munich-based solar technology company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sono Group N.V., has proven its capacity for innovation with the Solar Bus Kit. However, challenges including high manufacturing costs, limited driving range due to the limited solar panel surface area on vehicles, and weather dependency remain. Nonetheless, road approval of ViPV products like the Solar Bus Kit marks progress in overcoming regulatory barriers, enabling new sustainable mobility solutions that integrate photovoltaics directly onto vehicles rather than relying solely on stationary solar infrastructure or external charging.

The forward-looking statements in this press release involve inherent risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. The company's media and investor relations contact information is available on their respective websites.

This development is pivotal as it exemplifies practical use and regulatory acceptance of ViPV technology, helping to pave the way for more solar-integrated electric public transport fleets across Europe and potentially influencing international markets. This supports the decarbonization ambitions of cities and countries by integrating renewable energy generation directly into vehicles, thus contributing to sustainable mobility transformation.

1. The groundbreaking road approval of Sono Group's Solar Bus Kit in Germany signals a significant stride in the environmental science sector, particularly in the realm of vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (ViPV), which has implications for the broader industry and business aspirations towards sustainable mobility.
2. The certification received by the Solar Bus Kit from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and the Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) indicates a potential financial opportunity for industries focusing on renewable energy and technology, particularly in the environmental science field.
3. The success of Sono Group's Solar Bus Kit in obtaining Type Approval (TTG) from the KBA demonstrates the potential for technology and finance sectors to collaborate effectively in addressing climate change, putting environmental science at the forefront of their priorities.

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