Thinking out loud for a moment: What if our cars could generate the energy they need themselves? This would make the cars completely autonomous, without the need to connect them to a fuel pump or charging station. With the "Lightyear 0", a start-up from the Netherlands shows that this vision is not necessarily a purely utopian idea. According to the company, this is the first solar car in the world.
The current state of technology does not yet allow the Lightyear 0 to be completely self-sufficient. A 60kWh battery that is designed to provide a range of over 600 kilometres regularly requires a charging station. The innovative solar modules mounted on the bonnet and the roof can extend the range by 70 kilometres per day, however.
The solar car still requires regular charging
The Lightyear 0 is driven by four wheel hub motors, which the company states offer a particularly efficient electric drive train. The official consumption information is 10.5 kWh per 100 kilometres (at 110 km/h), making this electric vehicle a particularly efficient model. An air resistance coefficient of less than 0.19 also helps here, along with the comparatively low weight of 1,575 kilograms.
The drive is provided by four wheel hub motors
That doesn't sound so revolutionary so far. But there is another impressive calculation. Lightyear calculates in advance: "Thanks to solar energy savings of up to 11,000 kilometres per year, drivers using the Lightyear 0 for their daily commute (35 kilometres) can drive for months in the summer before they need a public charging station or a household power socket". In climate zones like the Netherlands it would take two months, or even seven months in sun-drenched Spain or Portugal.
"Today is the day we've all been waiting for ever since we five founders sat together in a kitchen and sketched our dream of creating the most sustainable car in the world," explains Lex Hoefsloot, co-founder and CEO of the Lightyear 0. "In 2016, it was just an idea. Three years later, we had a prototype." For six years, the start-up invested in research and development, design, prototype construction and extensive tests. It seems like the investment may have paid off: The world's first solar car will soon go into production.
Next generation of solar cars with an entry price of € 30,000?
The first car is scheduled to be delivered this year in Autumn 2022. A maximum of 946 models are to be produced. Cost: A relatively hefty € 250,000. But innovation comes at a cost.
The successor to Lightyear 0 will then be produced in large-scale series production with a significantly more attractive in entry price of € 30,000. The future will show just how realistic this is.