Dutch company Lightyear is working on a second electric car with solar panels. The company wants to enter into collaborations with new partners, with which it plans to produce tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of cars a year by 2023.
This says Johan Vos, who was recently appointed commercial director at Lightyear, in an interview with the FD. Vos previously worked at US electric car manufacturer Tesla. Lightyear is a Brabant-based company founded by alumni of Solar Team Eindhoven. This team won the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in 2013, 2015 and 2017 with their solar car.
Since then, the company has managed to secure grants, win awards and attract financiers. This money has been used to develop a prototype solar car. This car can be charged using solar energy.
Lightyear One
The company officially announced this prototype in June: the Lightyear One. This all-electric car features solar panels on both its roof and bonnet. The vehicle can use these panels to charge its built-in batteries while driving. This charging method enables a range of up to 725 kilometres.
The solar panels are a key distinguishing feature of the Lightyear One. Whereas other 100% electric vehicles typically charge via a plug, this is not necessary in the Lightyear One. This offers advantages: for instance, charging stations are currently not available everywhere, which means electric cars cannot be charged at every location.
Incidentally, it is also possible to power the vehicle via a charging station or a traditional power outlet. Through the latter option, it is possible to charge up to a range of 400 kilometres overnight.
Efficiency and safety
The Lightyear One was designed with a focus on efficiency and safety. Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and one of Lightyear's founders, explained earlier: "Our entire team specialises in optimising a car's performance. That made sure we had a strong focus on optimising efficiency and safety. The design of Lightyear One started with a blank drawing sheet. So we were not guided by conventions in car design, but only by the laws of nature."
However, with a price tag of almost €150,000, the Lightyear One is not available to everyone. Nevertheless, over a hundred copies of the vehicle have now been ordered. The Brabant-based company is currently working on a second model, which Lightyear plans to market for €50,000. The company also wants to produce more copies of this model; Vos talks about production numbers of 10,000 to 100,000 vehicles per year.
Tesla Model 3
In his new position as commercial director, Vos is helping to realise these ambitions. Vos was previously senior director at Tesla and involved in, among other things, the introduction of the Tesla Model 3. This entry-level Tesla model is available from EUR 43,500, putting it in the same price range as the second car model Lightyear is working on. The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling car of the year in 2019.
Vos and Tessie Hartjes, marketing director at Lightyear, stress that the company wants to remain based in the Netherlands. "We established ourselves on the automotive campus in Helmond for a reason. Not only because of the proximity to TU Eindhoven, but there are also a lot of technology companies and knowledge here," the pair tell the FD. Whereas the company previously aimed to make all parts itself, it is now opting for cooperation with carmakers and suppliers. In the Netherlands, discussions have included VDL Nedcar. "With the right partners, we can think much faster, much bigger. We really want to scale up from 2023," Vos said.
The FD interview can be found here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
