The prototype of the first long-range solar car will be unveiled in the Netherlands on June 25th. The announcement was made today by Lightyear, the Dutch pioneer in clean mobility. The Lightyear One, their proof of concept car, will be the first concrete step towards Lightyear’s mission of making clean mobility available for everyone, everywhere.
Lightyear’s approach uses several innovations to free the driver and take the car anywhere. The Lightyear One was designed from the ground up to solve two of the biggest drawbacks of electric cars: range and charging. The 4-wheel drive car is designed to go for long periods without cable-charging.
The battery alone has a range of 600-800 kilometers, depending on the usage. When it does need to be charged, the model’s energy efficiency makes it charge two or three times faster than any other electric car on the market. This means drivers can charge up to 400km overnight with an ordinary power socket, providing them with the freedom to use the Lightyear One in places without electric car charging infrastructure.
The revolutionary engineering of the Lightyear One isn’t limited to power. Its optimized aerodynamics, light weight and four independent in-wheel motors deliver torque with very high efficiencies; Lightyear ensures that its car makes the most of every bit of energy it produces.
Lightyear was founded in 2016 by five members of the team who developed Stella, the world’s first solar-powered four-seater. It won the World Solar Challenge and Best Technology Achievement from the Crunchies, as well as driving the Pacific Coast Highway from L.A. to San Francisco with one charge and zero emissions. Lightyear was born from their drive to make reliable and sustainable mobility available to anyone, anywhere.
Lightyear’s goal is to within the next ten years deliver cars with very low operating costs and long lifetime so the usage cost per km becomes extremely low. At that point, driving electric will become accessible to a much larger group of people than currently.
On June 25th, the Lightyear Prototype One will be revealed in Katwijk, the Netherlands. The prototype is eagerly awaited by environmentalists and car enthusiasts, as well as the almost 100 people who have already reserved a Lightyear One.
[source: Lightyear]
