Company claims Lightyear One can handle almost any terrain
The Dutch startup Lightyear announced their plans to bring a commercial solar car to the market in 2019 with a battery range of 800 kilometers, charged by the sun, according to a press release.
The first vehicle, the Lightyear One, is an electric four-wheel drive car that can handle rough terrain. Production of the car will start in 2019.
A limited number of the first generation EVs will be produced with prices starting at 119,000 Euros excluding tax.
Buyers can begin reserving their Lightyear One immediately.
“You can think of the Lightyear One as being as an electric car redesigned from the ground up to combine the best of solar cars and electric cars.” says Lex Hoefsloot, CEO of Lightyear.
“It’s a revolutionary step forward in electric mobility because we are able to combine a great look with extreme efficiency. This first model makes science fiction become reality: cars powered using just the sun.”
At night or on a cloudy day the Lightyear One can drive up to 800 kilometers on a fully charged battery, depending on battery configuration.
In sunny climates, Lightyear One is able to drive for months without charging, the company claims.
The integrated solar cells on the roof of the car will generate enough power to recharge the battery during the day and will render charging virtually unnecessary.
For very long trips an overnight-charge using an ordinary power socket will suffice – no need for electric car charging infrastructure, says Lightyear.
“The Lightyear One is a statement to show that electric cars are ready for every corner of the planet”, Hoefsloot clarifies. “It is the first step in our mission to make electric cars available for everyone”.
Since the car does not require any charging points, it is especially well suited for areas where the adoption of electric cars is held back by the lack of charging infrastructure.
