Squad Mobility, A Fleet Of Shared Solar City Cars — This Changes Everything
Sometimes good things come in small packages. Today that is especially true, as the package isn’t square, its “Squad, World’s First Solar City Car.” Wordplay aside, Squad Mobility is a startup in the Netherlands whose product might actually be the ultimate solution to the first/last-mile transportation issue. In our opinion, if successful, it could change the world.
What they have created is a small, affordable, low-speed car that dwarfs even a Smart car, yet can still seat 2 people and store maybe a grocery bag or two. At all times, this vehicle is charged by the solar panel that it’s roof is composed of, and when that doesn’t cut it and the juice runs low, the battery can just be swapped out. In some ways, we have seen similar strategies from electric scooter manufacturers like Gogoro which can be either purchased by individual consumers or shared by smart mobility networks. However, thus far we have not yet seen a successful implementation of this in a vehicle that has a roof.
There are so many applications for this in cities, towns, and even villages worldwide. For private owners seeking to do some basic grocery shopping, even the 20km of range that the solar panel can generate per day will suffice. For a shared network, giving a car that already gets 100km of range from its battery an additional 20km of range per day without having to burden the electrical grid or worry about the logistics of charging shared cars is actually quite significant. As Robert Hoevers, CEO of Squad Mobility, put it: “cities love solar charging, as this is a sustainable energy source. It decreases the load on the local charging infrastructure and energy demand. Cities are looking for zero emission mobility solutions with a small space footprint. We have achieved both. A per capita energy consumption lower than public transport and a space footprint comparable to a bicycle. And all this, while offering the flexibility of personal transport and the comfort of a car.”
At a starting price of just €5750, this car costs half as much as the cheapest A-segment car and one-fourth the cost of the two cheapest electric vehicles on the market, the Smart or VW e-up! We have seen electric scooters that were sold for this price, so it is very impressive. For those not interested in an outright purchase, lease and subscription options will also be made available for 100 euros per month. Pre-orders are now available on Squad’s website.
With a footprint of just 2 square meters, 3 or even 4 Squad solar cars can fit in just a single parking spot, making implementation in city infrastructure much easier. The vehicle itself will initially be limited to 45 km/h (28 mph) and a more powerful version that can reach 70 km/h (43 mph) will be launched at a later date. However, that isn’t the only improvement Squad Mobility has in store for its product. The vehicle will already be equipped with smart sensors and cameras that can monitor everything from cabin cleanliness to how a car is parked. Fleet operators will even be able to remotely control the car in case it is improperly parked or blocking an exit. They hope that once self-driving technology will be more commonplace, they will be able to add that to their product as well. In the words of the creators, “In the longer term, we envision the use of autonomous technology to control the fleet in the city — for example, to move vehicles back to places with high demand or more sunshine for charging.”
While autonomy might still be a ways off, production should start in the last quarter of 2022 in the EU, especially since in March they finished up an investment agreement with Bloomit Ventures. Once made, the product will likely sell like hot cakes, as this is a product category that does not yet exist, yet offers functionality that is very much in demand and does so for unbelievably low prices. Years ago when electric cars were not all that great, as an insult they have sometimes been called glorified golf carts. It is ironic that this product in some ways has taken that insult and turned it into a price advantage. This might not be a serious electric car alternative for consumers, instead it may be the best solution to city mobility and how most people will choose to travel the first/last leg of regular trips. While we can’t say too much, you can expect an even more serious milestone before the end of this year, so keep an eye out for Squad Mobility.
Note: We also wrote about Squad’s plans in December 2019: Squad Mobility Redefines Affordable With Its $6,300 Solar-Powered Urban Electric Vehicle.
Turning cheap daytime solar into electricity you can actually use at night just got a lot cheaper. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember shows that utility-scale battery storage costs have fallen to $65 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of October 2025 in markets outside China and the US. At that level, pairing solar with batteries to deliver power when it’s needed is now economically viable.
Battery storage costs have fallen dramatically over the past two years, and the decline continues. Following a steep decline in 2024, Ember’s analysis indicates that prices continued to fall sharply again in 2025.
The findings are based on real-world data from recent battery and solar-plus-storage auctions in Italy, Saudi Arabia, and India, as well as interviews with active developers across global markets.
According to Ember, the cost of a whole, grid-connected utility-scale battery storage system for long-duration projects (four hours or more) is now about $125 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as of October 2025. That figure applies to projects outside China and the US. Core battery equipment delivered from China costs around $75/kWh, while installation and grid connection typically add another $50/kWh.
Those lower upfront costs have pushed down the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) to just $65/MWh. Ember’s calculation reflects real-world assumptions around financing costs, system lifetime, efficiency, and battery degradation.
Cheaper hardware isn’t the only reason storage costs are falling. Longer battery lifetimes, higher efficiencies, and lower financing costs, helped by clearer revenue models such as auctions, have all contributed to the sharp drop in LCOS. Ember has published a live calculator alongside the report, allowing users to estimate LCOS using their own assumptions.
Why this matters comes down to how solar is actually used. Most solar power is generated during the day, so only a portion needs to be stored to make it dispatchable. Ember estimates that if half of daytime solar generation is shifted to nighttime, the $65/MWh storage cost adds about $33/MWh to the cost of solar electricity.
With the global average price of solar at $43/MWh in 2024, adding storage would bring the total cost to about $76/MWh, delivering power in a way that better matches real demand.
As Ember global electricity analyst Kostantsa Rangelova put it, after a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage, she said, are “unrecognizable,” and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality.
“Solar is no longer just cheap daytime electricity; now it’s anytime dispatchable electricity. This is a game-changer for countries with fast-growing demand and strong solar resources,” Rangelova added.
Together, solar and battery storage are increasingly emerging as a scalable, secure, and affordable foundation for future power systems.
Read more: EIA: Solar + storage soar as fossil fuels stall through September 2025
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a very telling Tesla Optimus fail, Rivian’s AI/Autonomy day, Mercedes GLB EV, and more.
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Nissan is reviving the Xterra, the rugged SUV that once attracted a cult-like following, but this time it will be “electrified.”
The Nissan Xterra will be electrified, but by how much?
Earlier this year, Nissan offered a sneak peek of its upcoming lineup in a shadowy image previewing several new vehicles.
Alongside the new 2026 LEAF, a plug-in hybrid Rogue, updated Pathfinder, and Sentra, Nissan teased a new electric “adventure-focused SUV,” which we later learned will be badged the Xterra.
The rugged electric SUV appeared to have a more upright, boxy stance than the original model. The previous Xterra attracted a cult-like following as a cheaper off-road alternative to the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler.
However, Nissan discontinued it after the 2015 model year as buyers opted for more efficient options like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
The new Xterra, but this time “it will have to have electrification,” according to Nissan Americas chief planning officer, Ponz Pandikuthira.
Pandikuthira told MotorTrend that the next-gen Xterra “cannot be ICE only,” but just how electrified it will be remains up in the air. “Is that an EREV? Is that a parallel hybrid system? Is that a plug-in system? That’s not defined yet. That’s all being actively studied right now,” he explained.
Nissan plans to launch a series of new extended-range hybrid (EREV) vehicles based on its e-Power system. The e-Power system uses a gas-powered engine connected to a generator.
The generator feeds energy to the inverter, which charges the battery and electric motor. Since the ICE only charges the battery and does not drive the wheels, it benefits from the instant torque and smooth drive of an EV.
However, it’s still powered by a gas engine at the end of the day. The 2027 Nissan Rogue will be the first e-Power vehicle in the US.
The Xterra could also arrive as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) similar to the 2026 Nissan Rogue. The 2026 Rogue will be Nissan’s first PHEV for the US and is expected to be a key part of its comeback plans.
It will go on sale in early 2026 with an EPA-estimated 36 miles of electric driving range. Combined with the gas engine, the hybrid powertrain provides up to 420 miles of EPA-estimated driving range.
The electrified Xterra will share a body-on-frame platform with the Pathfinder and Frontier, with a V-6 engine, all-wheel drive (AWD), and space for bigger batteries.
According to Pandikuthira, the V-6 will give it an edge over the competition, while the hybrid powertrain will improve efficiency.
The “electrified” Xterra will be built at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant, starting in 2028. The following year, a luxury Infiniti electric SUV, based on the Vision QXe concept, will join it.
Electrek’s Take
While Nissan is launching new PHEVs, hybrids, and EREVs, it has already pulled one electric SUV, the Ariya, from its US lineup.
For now, the only fully electric vehicle Nissan offers in the US is the 2026 LEAF. Although it was once viewed as a leader in the shift to EVs with the initial LEAF launching in 2010, Nissan has quickly fallen behind and is now scrambling to catch up.
Nissan hopes to plug the gap with a series of gas-power hybrids over the next few years until new all-electric vehicles begin rolling out in 2028.
Even with less efficient hybrid tech, Nissan is still late to the game and will need to keep pace with Toyota, Honda, Ford, Stellantis, and others betting on hybrids in the US.
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