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Netherlands’ Lightyear to start production of world’s first solar car this fall
Netherlands’ high-tech company Lightyear will start production of the world’s first solar car, Lightyear 0, this fall, after six years of R&D, design, engineering, prototyping, and testing.
The solar car with a starting price point of €30,000 will enable drivers to freely travel for up to seven months without plugging into a household outlet or charging station.
Through Lightyear 0, the company is offering a new future for motorists who want the freedom of mobility with the peace of mind of sustainable energy, and that future starts now.
“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.” says Lightyear’s Co-Founder and CEO Lex Hoefsloot, “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.”
Lightyear 0 features five square meters of patented, double curved solar arrays, allowing the vehicle to charge itself while commuting or simply parked outdoors. In optimal conditions, this enables Lightyear 0 to power itself with 70 kilometers of range per day on top of its estimated 625 kilometers WLTP range. Thanks to a solar yield of up to 11,000 kilometers a year, drivers using Lightyear 0 for their daily commute (35 kilometers) can drive for months in the summer period before needing to plug into a public charger or household outlet; in climates such as the Netherlands, it would be two months and, in Spain or Portugal, as much as seven months.
Lightyear 0 rethinks the architecture of electric cars – its four in-wheel motors constitute the most efficient electric drive train available today. With an energy use of 10.5 kWh per 100 kilometers (at 110km/h), it is the most efficient electric vehicle and its record-breaking drag coefficient of less than 0.19 makes it the most aerodynamic family car to date. Next to aerodynamics, the car’s mass also impacts its efficiency. Lightyear 0 is an electric car measuring five meters in length, yet its total weight is only 1,575 kilograms. The strength of the holistic design is evident in real-life settings – at highway speeds (110 km/h) Lightyear 0 can drive for 560 kilometers on end.
Since its inception, Lightyear has sought to develop a car that eliminates strain on the planet and the driver; therefore, every design detail has been considered with minimalism, sustainability, and comfort in mind. The sleek dashboard has a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that permits cloud-based updates, and the interior is composed entirely of vegan and naturally-sourced materials such as ecological microfiber suede seats and rattan palm detailing.
Production of the Lightyear 0 is set to begin this fall and the first car will be delivered as early as November. As Lightyear prepares to put the first solar cars on the roads, the company opted to officially introduce its premier car with a name that better resonates with its journey. Just as they started from the beginning in the development of their technology, a blank slate from nothing, Lightyear 0 will be the car that paves the way for a new era of clean mobility.
A maximum of 946 Lightyear 0’s will be produced at a cost of €250,000 to effectively introduce this new form of mobility to the market and move forward with Lightyear’s next model, which is being designed for high volume production at an accessible starting price point of €30,000 (production set for late 2024/early 2025).
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