Engineering:Lightyear 0
| Lightyear 0 | |
|---|---|
 Lightyear 0 at Motorworld Munich in 2021 | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Solar car |
| Manufacturer | Lightyear |
| Production | 2022–2023[1] |
| Assembly | Uusikaupunki, Finland (Valmet Automotive) |
| Designer | Lowie Vermeersch (GranStudio)[2] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Executive car (E) |
| Body style | 5-door Liftback |
| Layout | wheel hub motor, four-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4 electric engines in the wheels |
| Power output | 130 kW (170 bhp) |
| Battery | 60 kWh |
| Electric range | 625 km (388 miles) (WLTP) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 5,057 mm[3] |
| Width | 1,898 mm[3] |
| Height | 1,426 mm[3] |
| |uk|Kerb|Curb}} weight | ~ 1,575 kg (3,472 lb) |
The Lightyear 0 (formerly the Lightyear One) is an all-solar-electric car by the Dutch car manufacturer Lightyear. Production was originally scheduled to start in 2021, with a starting price of €250,000 incl. VAT. The first units were delivered in December 2022.[4] In January 2023, Lightyear announced that it was halting production of the 0 model, and that Atlas Technologies B.V., the subsidiary responsible for the manufacture of the Lightyear 0, would be allowed to go bankrupt. After a restart and new investments the manufacturer is now focusing on a more affordable model, Lightyear 2.[5]
Overview
The Lightyear 0 is a large fastback, with the bonnet, roof, and boot clad covered with 5 m2 (54 sq ft) of solar cells, producing a WLTP range of 625 km (388 miles). The Lightyear company claims the 782 solar cells across the car can add 70 km (43.5 miles) of range per day during summer.[6][7] The aerodynamics of the vehicle were stated to produce a record-low drag coefficient of 1px;">d=0.175.
The car is all-wheel drive, with four in-wheel electric hub motors powered by a low-mounted battery.[8] It seats five adults and luggage.[7]
History
The solar panel design was born out of the Solar Team Eindhoven's solar-powered cars for the World Solar Challenge. Design work on the Lightyear 0 was carried out together with GranStudio in Italy.[9]
Price and availability
Announced on 25 June 2019, production was scheduled to start in 2021, mentioning a starting price of €119,000 excl. VAT.[8] In September 2021, Lightyear were reported to have raised to bring the vehicle to production, and delivering the first units in 2022, for €250,000 excl. VAT.[10] The company announced in December 2022 that production had begun, at a rate of one car per week. Availability was limited to customers in the EU, Switzerland, Norway and the UK.[4] However, in January 2023 Lightyear announced that it was halting production of the 0 model, redirecting their efforts towards production of Lightyear 2; Atlas Technologies B.V., the subsidiary responsible for the manufacture of the Lightyear 0, would be allowed to go bankrupt.[11][12] (As of 2023), the replacement, Lightyear 2, is slated to be US$40,000 and available in both Europe and North America, and to start production in 2025.[13]
Gallery
Front view
Front and side view
Wheel and aerocover
Interior view
Rear view
References
- ↑ "Lightyear 0 Production Suspended As Company Decides To Focus On More Affordable 2". 24 January 2023. https://www.carscoops.com/2023/01/lightyear-0-production-suspended-as-company-decides-to-focus-on-more-affordable-2/.
- ↑ "Lightyear One (2019) – Designing a super efficient family car that charges under the sun.". Turin: GranStudio. https://www.granstudio.com/lightyear-one.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Lightyear One | The electric car that charges itself with sunlight". Netherlands: Lightyear. https://lightyear.one/lightyear-one/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lightyear 0 Solar EV Enters Production At A Rate Of One Per Week" (in en). https://insideevs.com/news/626100/lightyear-0-solar-ev-enters-production-at-rate-one-per-week/.
- ↑ "Koreaanse miljoenen voor autobouwer Lightyear: 'We gaan hier een staalfabriek bouwen'" (in nl). https://www.quotenet.nl/financien/investeren/a44856957/zuid-korea-sunbo-investeert-in-lightyear/.
- ↑ Potts, Greg (26 June 2019). "The Lightyear One is a long-range solar-powered EV". Top Gear. UK. https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/lightyear-one-long-range-solar-powered-ev.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Lightyear One: Hands-on with a solar-powered car with 440-mile range". Venture Beat. 19 January 2020. https://venturebeat.com/2020/01/19/lightyear-one-hands-on-with-a-solar-powered-car-with-440-mile-range/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wilkinson, Luke (25 June 2019). "Lightyear unveils long-range solar-electric car". Auto Express (UK). https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/107239/lightyear-unveils-long-range-solar-electric-car.
- ↑ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (25 June 2019). "Dutch EV startup". Motor Authority. US. https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1123770_dutch-ev-startup-channels-the-citroen-ds-with-lightyear-one.
- ↑ "Lightyear raises $110 million to bring its $170,000 'solar' electric car to market". 16 September 2021. https://electrek.co/2021/09/16/lightyear-raises-110-million-bring-solar-electric-car-market/.
- ↑ "Lightyear 0 unit goes bust, impact on future car plans unclear" (in en). 26 January 2023. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/01/lightyear-0-unit-goes-bust-impact-on-future-car-plans-unclear/.
- ↑ "Lightyear 0 Production On Hold As Company Focuses On Affordable Model" (in en). https://insideevs.com/news/632703/lightyear-0-production-on-hold/.
- ↑ Eric Stafford (5 January 2023). "Lightyear EV Is Sun Powered, Has a Claimed 500-Mile Range, Will Cost under $40K". Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42408752/lightyear-2-solar-powered-ev-revealed/.
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