The Startup: The $265,000 Solar Car Will Be Available Sooner Than a Lightyear

The Dutch company Lightyear introduced the first production-ready solar car to customers on June 9th. This innovation announces months of charge-less driving in summer conditions.

According to the company founded in 2016, Lightyear 0 is willing to make a change in the char industry. 

Lex Hoefsloot, Co-founder and CEO, explains: "Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they have a scaling problem. By 2030, we can expect 84 million electric vehicles (EVs) on roads in Europe alone."

For the moment, the company is making 949 units of the model, including curved solar panels across the hood and roof that will enable the car to "drive for weeks, even months, without charging."

"Our strategy flips that approach. Lightyear 0 delivers more range with less battery, reducing weight and CO₂ emissions per vehicle."

"Every year, all cars drive 9,460,000,000,000 fossil-fueled kilometres. That’s a lot. In fact, it’s a light-year. It’s our goal to have the world drive one light-year on solar power by 2035."

The car is also built sustainably. The design is vegan and eco-friendly; it features plant-based leather, textiles manufactured from recycled PET bottles, and repurposed rattan palm wood decorative pieces. The outside body panels are made of recycled carbon, fiber components that otherwise would be discarded.

Soon, the company will announce its expansion throughout Europe, and the first test drives will begin in June. Production is planned in the fall, with the first vehicles reaching their owners in November.

The company also intends to produce a more affordable model with a starting price of 30,000 euros by 2024–2025.

Source : Lighyear, FinancialPost