Article Image

IPFS News Link • Transportation

Lightyear To Unveil First Long-Range Solar Car Next Month

• https://insideevs.com, BY: MARK KANE

Dutch start-up Lightyear announced that its first all-electric long-range five-seat solar car, the Lightyear One, will be unveiled in prototype version on June 25th in Katwijk, the Netherlands.

The company boasts that it raised €15 million ($16.8 million) for the project within less than two years and opened its own production facility in Helmond.

The low-volume production of the Lightyear One is expected to begin in 2020 as almost 100 people reserved the car by placing deposits.

Thanks to lightweight construction and aerodynamic shape, the car is expected to have a range from 400-800 km (250-500 miles) and the photovoltaic cells could, in theory, provide electricity for up to 20,000 km (12,430 miles) annually. The powertrain consists of four in-wheel motors, which also means all-wheel drive. We will probably get more details later this year.

Lightyear One to start from €119,000 ($133,000) excluding taxes, which is a lot. Production plan includes three versions:

Signature Edition (first 10, early 2020) with required €119,000 deposit

Pioneer Edition (first 100, in 2020) with required €119,000 deposit

Lightyear One (#101 – #500, 2021) with required €19,000 deposit

Lightyear One (from #501, end of 2021) with required €4,000 deposit


Home Grown Food