Lightyear Launches Production Version of its Flagship Solar EV Renamed The Lightyear 0
Lightyear is an EV startup that focuses on developing solar EVs, as a practical alternative for ICEs and BEVs as well. The event was held online and featured their first production car, the Lightyear 0, formally known as Lightyear One during its six years-long development run.
Customers can now place their orders at the official website, to compete for the 946 units that will be produced this year. Deliveries are scheduled for this fall.
Before reaching this stage Lightyear 0 has proven itself several times as a worthy competitor in the World EV market, since the start, the company has promised us 450 miles on a single charge. Last summer, an earlier prototype has achieved 441 miles, 9 miles short of what was expected. And then, in October, Lightyear 0 successfully passed another bundle of durability tests.
The final exam was lapping the Bridgestone circuit, proving once more its worth, and Showing more capabilities than what was expected during its initial debut.
But Why The Name Change?
Switching from Lightyear one to Lightyear 0 may seem a bit odd. Co-founder and CEO Lex Hoefsloot explained the philosophy behind the new name, he said that the company wants to differentiate itself from other EV carmakers, and lightyear will be a more sustainable solution in the long term, as it avoids all the negative aspects related to regular BEVs.
“Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they have a scaling problem. By 2030, we can expect 84 million electric vehicles (EVs) on roads in Europe alone. There’s no hiding from it, access to charging stations will not keep up with the demand for electric cars. To minimize plug-charging and maximize range, the industry’s strategy, so far, has been to add batteries. That increases the carbon footprint of production and, in turn, boosts weight and the need for high-power charging stations. Our strategy flips that approach. Lightyear 0 delivers more range with less battery, reducing weight and CO₂ emissions per vehicle.”
Solar Technology
Now let’s examine the car itself, the lightyear 0 will come equipped with five square meters of double-curved solar arrays. This unique technological feature is what makes Lightyear standout among its EV peers.
The solar panels can provide the car with an additional 44 miles of range per day, which can amount to 6,835 miles per year.
The battery pack inside the car can provide power for 288 miles of the WLTP range on its own. But with solar power, this number can be boosted to 432 miles.
To bring these numbers into perspective, lightyear made the example of a 30 miles daily commute in the Netherlands. The solar panel will allow you to drive for more than 620 miles on a single charge over the course of several days. Proving the car’s sustainability and efficiency.
The Lightyear 0 has a starting price of $265,000, buyers will have the chance to customize their car while making an order on the company’s official website. Production will take place in Finland with deliveries expected to start as early as November 2022
The Dutch start-up is not planning to rest after this big achievement, lightyears 2, their second EV, and their first high-volume production model is expected to enter the production phase around the start of 2025. With the price hovering around $32,000
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