Geely’s Riddara bakkie arrives in South Africa
Geely Auto South Africa (GASA) has introduced Riddara, Geely Auto Group's new energy bakkie brand, to the South African market.
- Product News
- 3 September 2026
German company, Sono Motors, announced late in February that the group was abandoning the development of a solar-powered passenger vehicle.
The Sono Group was one of three companies aggressively pursuing the development of a solar-powered passenger vehicle, the other two being Southern California-based Aptera Motors, and Dutch company, Lightyear.
The company announced that was pivoting to a business that aimed to sell its solar vehicle technology to other companies and in the light of the decision, laid off 300 employees.
In a statement Sono Motors said: “The Company’s solar solutions, including hardware such as power electronics and software, are already in application today, with 23 B2B customers across Europe, Asia and the United States piloting Sono Motors’ integrated solar technology on a variety of vehicles, including third-party OEM cars, buses, refrigerated vehicles and recreational vehicles. Fleet operators can benefit from integrating Sono Motors’ technology to save fuel, costs and CO2, thereby contributing to the fight against climate change through a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Termination of the Sion programme reflects a decision to focus on a capital-light business model – an estimated 90% of the funding needs for 2023 were generated by the Sion programme – in light of depressed capital market conditions. Given the resource-intensive nature of the Sion programme, including personnel requirements, the Company is now implementing a significant cost reduction programme.
“This pivot marks a significant step in Sono Motors’ business development," said Laurin Hahn, co-founder and CEO of Sono Motors. “Even though we had to terminate our original passion project, the Sion programme, shifting our entire focus to business-to-business solar solutions provides us with an opportunity to continue to create innovative products in the solar space. It was a difficult decision, and despite more than 45,000 reservations and pre-orders for the Sion programme, we were compelled to react to the ongoing financial market instability and streamline our business.”
Sono Motors is currently working as a development-partner and supplier to companies across ten countries in Europe, Asia and the United States. Customers include Mitsubishi Europe, CHEREAU, and two Volkswagen subsidiaries – Scania and MAN Truck & Bus. Talks with potential investors will now exclusively focus on solar technology.
Geely Auto South Africa (GASA) has introduced Riddara, Geely Auto Group's new energy bakkie brand, to the South African market.
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The Toyota Starlet has improved from zero to a four-star rating for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP's latest #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results. This follows a safety upgrade to make six airbags a standard fit.
South Africa's new vehicle market sustained strong momentum in August 2026, with aggregate sales increasing by 11,4% year-on-year to 57 898 units, says the Automotive Business Councill | naamsa.
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