Lightyear, a Dutch startup, wants to push the EV market into the future with a solar panel fuelled electric car, that could go up to seven months without the need to plug it in.
The Lightyear 0 isn't just a concept car either, the company says the car will begin production later this year, with deliveries potentially rolling out as early as November.
Lex Hoefsloot, Lightyear’s co-founder and CEO, says the car is proof that nothing is impossible. “In 2016, we only had an idea; three years later, we had a prototype. Now, after six years of testing, iterating, (re)designing, and countless obstacles, Lightyear 0 is proof that the impossible is actually possible,” he says.
“Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for since us five co-founders sat in a kitchen sketching out our dream of building the most sustainable car on the planet.”
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To make the car as efficient as possible, the automaker has paid special attention to the aerodynamics, weight, and size of the vehicle. The shape of the car gives it a drag coefficient of 0.19, which could make it the most aerodynamic family car on sale when it comes out. As well as that, the vehicle will only be slightly heavier than a Toyota Supra, weighing in at 1,575 kg. That's despite the car measuring more than 5,000 mm.
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The size of the vehicle is what allows it to host 5 square meters of patented double-curved solar arrays, meaning it can charge any time it's under the sun. Lightyear claims the 0 has a solar yield of up to 11,000km per year. In optimal conditions, it can charge up to 70km of range per day from sunlight alone.
The company says that those who'll use the Lightyear 0 as their daily commute (which it says is typically 35km long), could go up to seven months between charges in sunny countries. And while that is the best-case scenario, Lightyear believes that Dutch customers could still go up two months between charges if the vehicle is parked outside.
Disregarding solar panel charging, the automaker estimates the car to have a WLTP range of 625 km per charge. And at highway speeds of 110km/h, it estimates that the car can go 560km on a single charge.
The aerodynamics and highly efficient motors are to thank for this, with the motors placed in the wheels. The automaker claims the Lightyear 0 has the most efficient drivetrain in an EV right now, using 10.5 kWh of energy per 100km at highway speeds.
The car will have a 10.1-inch touchscreen that will be able to be updated over the air, and materials are entirely vegan, utilizing naturally-sourced textiles like microfiber suede seats and rattan palm detailing.
But, none of this comes cheaply. The car will start at €250,000 ($413,713.60 NZD), and there'll only be 946 vehicles produced each year. But the company does have a more affordable model in the pipeline, with prices starting at €30,000 ($49,645.63 NZD) for this one and production kicking off in late 2024/early 2025.