More environmentally friendly, Lightyear solar battery electric vehicle goes into production

In 2019, Lightyear, a Dutch electric car startup, released a sleek, slip-back concept car. The car is fitted with a hub motor and a solar cell version on the front hatch and roof. Production of the car began recently at a factory in Novokopunki, Finland.

The new car is called "Lightyear 0 | inquiry (parameters)," the contract Valmet manufacturing, the contract has made the Fisker Karma models. Valmet also has a contract order for the Sono Sion, an electric car that features a solar cell version.

The Lightyear 0 has about 53 square feet of solar cells in the front hatch and roof, which can charge at 1.05 kilowatts when the sun is shining, adding 6.2 miles of range in an hour. As a short-haul commuter, the car can be driven for months on a full charge without needing to recharge. This depends on the user's commute time and sun exposure.

With a 60-kwh battery pack, the Lightyear 0 has a range of 388 miles (624 km) in WLTP testing and nearly 300 miles (483 km) in more rigorous EPA testing. The wind resistance coefficient of the new car is only 0.17Cd, which is the lowest in the world at present. Equipped with a high-efficiency motor, inverter and energy-efficient tires, the car's official energy consumption is 10.5 kilowatt-hours per 62 miles.

Lightyear 0 uses a hub motor, eliminating components such as the gearbox and drive shaft, and improving the level of lightweight. The vehicle weighs 3,472 pounds (1,575 kilograms). That's pretty light for a 5-seater electric car. In terms of tyres, the new car uses energy efficient tyres specially developed by Bridgestone.

Lightyear 0 is currently only available in Europe, with a starting price of 250,000 euros. Officials haven't announced plans to launch the car in other countries. Not everyone can afford an electric car that costs anywhere near 2 million yuan, so Lightyear says it's already working on a more affordable model, the Lightyear 2, due out in 2025.