Dutch startup Lightyear has unveiled its iconic vehicle, an electric car powered by solar panels, located on the roof and hood, which have a total area of 5 square meters.
It will be possible to drive 7.4 thousand km per year with the help of solar energy. However, the power reserve reached even more significant during the tests – 11 thousand km.
Regarding bodywork, the Lightyear 0 is a classic fastback with a length of 5,083mm. The cost of the car is 250 thousand euros. At the same time, due to lightweight carbon fiber, it was possible to reduce the car’s weight to 1,575 kg. The battery is also present here – its power is 60 kW, which is relatively modest by modern standards.
But the volume of the trunk pleased – 640 liters. The manufacturer has not yet declassified the return of the power plant, but it is known that there will be four motors. Up to 100 km/h can be accelerated in 10 seconds. If it’s a sunny day, the electric car gets a different range of 70 km. And in total, you can count on a distance of 625 km when fully charged.
Another critical parameter is the smallest drag coefficient – only 0.19, which is better than the former leader Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The fact that the engineers did an excellent job in this regard can be seen from the car’s silhouette and the solar panels. Lightyear hasn’t forgotten about the environment either, with plant-based leather upholstery and recycled interior and body parts. The production of vehicles will begin this fall, and the first customers can expect to receive cars in November 2022.
Meanwhile, Li Auto from China began selling the new Ideal L9 crossover, the flagship in the brand’s lineup with a hybrid power plant.