The prototype of the first solar-powered car suitable for long distances has been presented by Dutch company Lightyear. The Lightyear One features solar panels on its roof and bonnet, which allow it to charge the vehicle's built-in batteries while driving. This charging method enables a range of up to 725 kilometres.
Electric cars of all kinds have been available on the market for some time. These vehicles are charged using a charging station, to which the vehicle is connected using a cable. This has drawbacks. For instance, the availability of charging stations is still limited at the moment, so users cannot charge at every location. However, this is necessary as electric vehicles - like traditional internal combustion engine vehicles - have a limited range.
Range of 725 kilometres with small battery
Lightyear claims to have a solution to this challenge with the Lightyear One. "Lightyear One does not suffer from these drawbacks. The car is ultra-efficient. As a result, you can drive an unprecedented 725 kilometres with a relatively small battery. In addition, the battery recharges itself using solar energy, allowing you to charge up to 20,000 kilometres a year. This makes charging a lot easier, as you can cover longer distances with the same energy. You can also use regular sockets; with a regular 230-volt plug, you can charge up to 400 kilometres a night. That's especially nice if you want to go on a road trip, because you don't have to use the electric charging infrastructure," Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and one of Lightyear's founders, said during the presentation of the prototype.
Lightyear is a company founded in 2016 by alumni of Solar Team Eindhoven, a team whose solar car won the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Since then, the company has received several grants, won awards and attracted funders. "With that, we have been able to develop a working prototype of the first long-distance capable solar car in a relatively short period of two years. And more than a hundred have already been reserved. Lightyear One shows that with innovative technology you can develop a very sustainable car that also offers a lot of comfort."
Efficiency and safety
In developing the Lightyear One, the focus was entirely on efficiency and safety, explains Hoefsloot. "Our entire team specialises in optimising a car's performance. This ensured that 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."
The Lightyear One can be charged in two ways. By charging the batteries using the five square metres of solar panels on the roof and bonnet, users can drive up to 20,000 kilometres per year. How long a user can travel this way in practice depends largely on solar intensity and thus the location on earth where the vehicle is used. For example, according to a calculation tool on Lightyear's website, a user driving 20,000 kilometres a year in Amsterdam can go 48 days a year without recharging. In sunnier Los Angeles, for example, it is 74 days a year.
Up to 570km range charging in one hour
Using solar panels, the vehicle can be charged at a speed of 12 kilometres per hour. Those who want to drive more than the solar panels allow can charge the vehicle using a regular power outlet. Using an ordinary 230V plug, the Lightyear One can be charged overnight to a range of 400 kilometres, achieving a charging speed of 35 kilometres per hour. It is also possible to charge the Lightyear One using a 60-kilowatt fast charger, which can achieve a range of as much as 570 kilometres in an hour.
The maximum range of the Lightyear One is 725 kilometres. Lightyear guarantees a range of at least 400 kilometres in the winter months when used on the motorway with the heater on. In most cases, the range comes out to between 500 and 800 kilometres, according to Lightyear.
Motors in the wheels
The vehicle is powered by four independently controlled motors, which are incorporated into the wheels. According to Lightyear, this offers several advantages, including reduced weight and improved steering. In addition, no energy is lost in transferring power from the engine to the wheels. Using these motors, the Lightyear One can reach a speed of 100 kilometres per hour in ten seconds.
The Lightyear One can be reserved at a cost of 119,000 euros; the first 500 units of the Lightyear One have already been reserved. These units are expected to be delivered from 2021. In this year, Lightyear expects to ramp up production of the vehicle. The Lightyear One is available from €149,000 including VAT. It is also possible to lease the vehicle from LeasePlan for €1,879 per month.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
