The car with Lightyear One solar panels visited Barcelona last Thursday, March 3, 2022. After Madrid the previous week, this was the first time it could be seen in public outside the Netherlands. An electric that stands out for having a large surface area of solar panels on its bodywork.
Lightyear is a startup created by a group of five Dutch engineers who, after repeatedly participating in the Solar Car Challenge, decided to build their own car. After taking part in several rounds of financing, they obtained 150 million euros with which to start their project.
It was in this way that this brand was born in the Netherlands in 2019. This year the production of its first model, the Lightyear One, will begin, they did not really break their heads when thinking of a name.
The Lightyear One will be manufactured in Uusikaupunki (Finland), at the famous Valmet factory. A firm that has manufactured Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLC, countless number of SAAB models, first-generation Porsche Boxster and Cayman, Fisker Karma…
The entire front hood, roof and tailgate are completely covered by solar panels, totaling 5 square meters. Unlike other photovoltaic panels, the ones used by the Lightyear One are independent, so that if one part of the surface is dirty, the rest continue to function normally.
Lightyear technicians said that leaving the car parked in the sun for a couple of hours can increase autonomy by about 15 kilometers. If it was parked all day, it could be 50 kilometers of extra autonomy. The energy captured by the solar panels is transferred directly to the vehicle’s battery.
The most curious thing when you see it live is that the passenger compartment is almost completely closed, except for the windshield and the windows of the four doors. The roof, having the solar panels, is completely opaque, as is the tailgate. It does not have a rear window, so to see what is happening behind us we can only use the rear camera and the two cameras that act as side mirrors. The images from these cameras are projected on screens on the dashboard of the Lightyear One. A cutting-edge solution developed by the Spanish subsidiary of the firm Kappa Optronics.
The body made of carbon is very aerodynamic, and stands out both for the sharp shape in which it ends at the rear, and for having the rear wheels semi-faired. Broadly speaking, it can be reminiscent of the Volkswagen XL1.
In its aluminum chassis hides the battery pack with a capacity of 70 kWh. According to those responsible for the brand, with one charge, it is capable of doing around 700 kilometers. In the back we find a hidden charging socket.
One of the most hidden qualities that the Lightyear One has is its large capacity trunk. The Dutch firm announces 700 liters, a load volume more than enough to accommodate the luggage of 5 adults.
In short
We hope to know more details of the spectacular Lightyear One soon. I must say that it surprises live, it presents an elegant and at the same time very proportionate design. But it is already known that colors are for tastes.
What is very clear is that only 964 units will be manufactured and each one will cost the not insignificant figure of 250,000 euros. Rimac and Koenigsegg hypercars aside, when it hits the market it will become one of the most expensive electric cars in the world.
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