Squad Mobility’s $6,250 ‘Solar City Car’ details US market plans
The US’s electric micro-car market is rather limited compared to Europe and Asia, but the Dutch company Squad Mobility hopes to change that. The startup has announced that its solar-powered EV is now available for pre-order ahead of US entry.
Announcing today a special edition of the vehicle known as the “Solar Buggy”, the small format EV is described by the company as “a compact and affordable solar car that charges itself on direct solar energy through an integrated solar panel on the roof.”
Technically, it’s not a “car” in the traditional sense, at least not in the US, where it will fall under Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) designation that limits its speed to 25 mph (40 km/h) in order to attain street-legal status at the federal level.
It is unclear if the vehicle has already passed US homologation certification for street-legal status, though the company has plenty of time left before its planned 2025 market entry.
In Europe, two versions of the vehicle are available with higher performance. The company is working on bringing the two-seater Solar City Car to production in a 28 mph (45km/h ) L6-category variant and a 43 mph ( 70km/h) L7-category variant. Squad Mobility also has plans for a longer, four-seater L7-category variant and a cargo version.
One key differentiator for Squad Mobility is the company’s focus on solar power as a form of range extender for the vehicles. The roof-mounted solar panel is said to add up to 13.6 miles (22 km) of extra range on sunny days in the company’s domestic market of the Netherlands. When tested in Las Vegas, the solar output was nearly 50% higher, adding up to 19.2 miles (31 km) of range per day.
The vehicles feature four swappable and portable batteries that together offer an all-electric range of 62 miles (100 km), even without factoring in any additional charge from solar power. With an average solar range of 13 miles per day in a city such as Las Vegas, Squad Mobility believes that most users will find that charging is not even necessary.
Compared to the European market where quadricycles and microcars are more commonly found in densely populated cities, the US LSV market is focused more on planned communities, event centers, and other campus-style areas.
As Squad Mobility’s CEO Robert Hoevers explained, “We are seeing a tremendous interest from the United States, specifically for markets such as golf cart communities, (corporate) campuses, sharing platforms, hotels and resorts, amusement parks and inner-city services.”
According to the company, the vehicle will be available in the US in 2025 starting at US $6,250 before tax, and can already be pre-ordered. No down payment is necessary for pre-orders outside of Europe.
Electric microcars, mostly falling under the category of LSVs in the US, are a small but growing niche in the larger automotive space.
Earlier this year we tested a few Wink Motors LSVs in New York City to see how a solar-powered microcar could handle a major US metropolis. While the experience can take some getting used to, these smaller vehicles can usually maintain city speeds (especially in areas like NYC where traffic rarely reaches 25 mph), yet are easier to maneuver and park.
Electrek’s Take
I love a good microcar, and this definitely counts. Adding in solar is the cherry on top. Sure, you can call it a fancy golf cart. But no one who drives one of these is going to care what the heck you think about it. People who care about that kind of stuff already have lifted trucks and exhaust mods. People who just want a vehicle to do what they need it to do… end up with weird little electric mini-trucks like mine. Or perhaps a mini-solar-car like this thing.
As much as I love what Squad Mobility is doing though, I’ll be amazed if they can actually sell this for US $6,250. Consider that a run-of-the-mill golf cart costs closer to $9,000 with a plastic windshield and old-school batteries that you need a tool kit and half an hour to access. Coming in hot with a slick-looking street-legal vehicle featuring swappable batteries for 30% less cash… is going to be a tall order.
But hey, prove me wrong. Get it done, Solar Mobility, and I’ll sing your praises from the mountaintops. Which is exactly where I drove the last electric microcar I borrowed.
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On today’s exciting episode of Quick Charge, we don’t even mention “you know who,” focusing instead on EV news from Rivian, Lucid, Nissan, Ford, and what it takes to make a MAN in the heavy truck space. Check it out!
Sure, Nissan is pushing back production estimates on its yet-to-begin-production Nissan LEAF and Ford’s EV sales were down significantly in Q2, but there’s more to the story than the “Faux News” crowd would have you believe. Plus: some new electric success stories from Porsche and a disappointing (but still cool) dive into some new home backup battery tech.
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he 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Battery electric cars sold today in Europe produce 73% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than gas cars, even when factoring in production, according to new research from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That’s a big improvement from 2021, when the gap was 59%.
Meanwhile, hybrids and plug-in hybrids haven’t made much progress. The study confirms what clean transportation advocates have been saying for years: If Europe wants to seriously slash emissions from its dirtiest mode of transport – ICE passenger cars, which pump out nearly 75% of the sector’s pollution – it needs to go all-in on battery EVs.
“Battery electric cars in Europe are getting cleaner faster than we expected and outperform all other technologies, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” said ICCT researcher Dr. Marta Negri. Credit the continent’s rapid shift to renewables and the higher energy efficiency of EVs.
The makeup of the EU’s power grid is changing fast. By 2025, renewables are expected to generate 56% of Europe’s electricity, up from 38% in 2020. And that’s just the beginning: the share could hit 86% by 2045. Since cars bought today could still be on the road two decades from now, the growing use of clean electricity will only boost EVs’ climate benefits over time.
Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, will stay mostly tied to fossil fuels as the cost and availability of biofuels and e-fuels are still uncertain.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids only cut lifetime emissions by 20% and 30%, respectively, compared to gas cars. That’s partly because plug-in hybrids tend to run on gas more than expected. So while hybrids aren’t useless, they’re just not good enough if we’re serious about climate goals.
Countering EV myths with hard data
There’s been a lot of noise lately about whether EVs are really that green. The ICCT study takes aim at the bad data and misleading claims floating around, like ignoring how the grid gets cleaner over time or using unrealistic gas mileage figures.
It’s true that manufacturing EVs creates more emissions upfront – about 40% more than making a gas car, mostly due to the battery. But EVs make up for it quickly: that extra emissions load is usually wiped out after about 17,000 km (10,563 miles) of driving, which most drivers hit in a year or two.
“We’ve recently seen auto industry leaders misrepresenting the emissions math on hybrids,” said Dr. Georg Bieker, senior researcher at the ICCT. “But life-cycle analysis is not a choose-your-own-adventure exercise.”
ICCT’s new analysis includes emissions from vehicle and battery production and recycling, fuel and electricity production, and fuel consumption and maintenance. It even adjusts for how the electricity mix will change in the coming years – a key detail when measuring plug-in hybrid performance.
Read more: Volkswagen’s 47% BEV sales jump includes a 24% boost in the US
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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![Here's our closest look at the Kia EV2 caught testing in the Alps [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Kia-EV2-closest-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The EV2 may be Kia’s smallest electric vehicle, but it has a big presence on the road. Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re inside, thanks to clever storage and flexible seating. After a prototype was spotted testing in the Alps, we are getting our closest look at the Kia EV2 so far.
Kia EV2 spotted in the Alps offers our closest look yet
Kia first unveiled the Concept EV2 during its 2025 EV Day event (see our recap of the event) in April, a preview of its upcoming entry-level electric SUV.
Despite its small size, Kia claims it will “redefine urban electric mobility” with new innovative features and more. Kia has yet to say exactly how big it will be, but given it will sit below the EV3, it’s expected to be around 4,000 mm (157″) in length. The EV3 is 4,300 mm (169.3″) in length.
Looking at it from the side, it sits much higher than you’d expect, similar to Kia’s larger EV9. During an exclusive event at Milan Design Week in April, Kia gave a sneak peek of the interior.
Kia said the interior is inspired by a “picnic in the city,” or in other words, a retreat from the busy city life. With a flat-floor design and flexible seating, you can quite literally have a picnic in the city.
Although we’ve seen the EV2 out in public testing a few times, a new video provides the closest look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV.
The video, courtesy of CarSpyMedia, shows an EV2 prototype testing in the Alps with European license plates. There’s also a “Testfahrt” sticker on the back, which translates to “Test Car” in German.
As the prototype drives by, you can get a good look at it from all angles. Like in past sightings, the front features stacked vertical headlights with Kia’s signature Star Map lighting. Even the rear lights appear to be identical to those of the concept.
The interior will feature Kia’s next-gen ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ instrument clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. Depending on the model, it could also include an added 5.3″ climate control screen.
Last month, a crossover coupe-like model was spotted on a car carrier in Korea, hinting at a new variant. The new model featured a design similar to that of the Genesis GV60.
Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, also recently told Autocar that a smaller, more affordable EV was in the works to sit below the EV2. Song said the new EV, priced under €25,000 ($30,000), was “one area we are studying and developing.”
With the EV4 and EV5 launching this year, followed by the EV2 in 2026, it could be closer toward the end of the decade before we see it hit the market. Next-gen EV6 and EV9 models are also due out around then.
The Kia EV2 is set to launch in Europe and other global regions in 2026. Unfortunately, it’s not expected to make the trip to the US.
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