Lightyear Zero Solar-Powered Car Enters Production
Lightyear, the Netherlands-based company, has been working on the technology for its new vehicle for six years. The company has over 500 employees and is working with Valmet Automotive, a Finnish vehicle manufacturer contracted to make the vehicle. The company is also working in partnership with Bridgestone and Koenigsegg.
Lightyear has announced that they will enter production to build the world’s first road-ready solar-powered electric car. It has entered production in Finland and is set to deliver vehicles to customers next year.
The bodywork incorporates five square metres of solar panels, providing a range of 12km / 7.5 miles. In addition, the Lightyear Zero can charge while you are on the move. Depending on the amount of sun available during the year, it will be able to travel between 6,000 and 11,000km from just sunlight alone. With a modest battery size of 61.2kWh – admittedly smaller than some other EV cars – its solar car can drive a range of up to 602 km on a charge on a European test cycle.
The Lightyear Zero can achieve diving ranges of this length due to its streamlined aerodynamics, which makes it more efficient than other EVs, they claim. Lightyear says that this vehicle is built to be efficient.
The price tag for this vehicle has a starting price of €250,000 / £215,925 before taxes are added. Also, the production of this vehicle is very limited to currently only 946 per year. The solar car will be sold only in Europe. Lightyear has plans to bring out a more affordable solar-powered electric car. Called the Lightyear Two, priced at €30,000 / £25,914, this car will go on sale between 2024 to 2025.
