What we know about the solar electric car
Let's take a look at the first solar-powered electric car and its advantages.
The innovative Lightyear 0 took six years to develop before going into production. Lightyear's challenge was ambitious: to deliver this new high-tech vehicle, the world's first solar-powered electric car.
The announcement of the Lightyear also follows on from another solar-powered electric car concept, the Sono Siondeveloped by German company Sono Motors and scheduled for production in the second half of 2023.
See also : Sono Sion: a solar-powered car long-awaited for 2023
Lightyear 0: complete autonomy thanks to the sun?
So how does this new Lightyear 0 work? The Lightyear 0 is equipped with solar panels built into the vehiclegiving it the ability to run for several months without recharging.
This is a real innovation in electric cars. Indeed, this solar panel solution would put an end to the obstacle of too-frequent recharging, while at the same time reducing the dependence of electrified vehicles on recharging stations.
The use of solar energy to recharge electric cars would also alleviate the recurring problem of the lack of charging stations in certain regions.
See also : New financial assistance for the installation of filling stations at small service stations
This solar panel concept will enable the electric car to recharge itself autonomously, simply by being exposed to the sun, even while on the move.
In order to monitor the vehicle's fuel consumption, the Lightyear 0 will be equipped with an interactive and connected interactive, connected interfacewith real-time updates on the car's remaining range.
The various information available on the interface will include :
- state of charge
- remaining operating time
- the amount of solar energy absorbed by the solar panels
A revolution also for its electric battery
This solar-powered electric car thus brings a distinctly innovative aspect to electric vehicle design. The Lightyear 0 also features a 60 kWh electric battery, lighter than electric cars with similar ranges.
This, too, is a significant advantage, helping to reduce the weight of the vehicle and hence the carbon emissions released during the manufacturing process of the electric car.
See also : ADEME: Why choose a lighter battery for your electric car?
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Special features of solar-powered electric cars
Eco-responsible design
In terms of design, Lightyear has chosen to focus on the predominant use of ecological and renewable materialsto keep in line with the ecological aspect that this solar-powered electric car emphasizes.
As for the electric vehicle's exterior design, the Lightyear 0 is made from panels of reclaimed carbon and materials derived from carbon residues, covering an area of 5 m². What's more, its bodywork is made exclusively from recycled fibers.
The exterior of the Lightyear 0 stands out in particular for one detail: the absence of rear-view mirrors. In fact, the Lightyear has abandoned rear-view mirrors in favor of four cameras covering the rear, parking and side views of the vehicle.
As for the Lightyear 0's interior, it's made of vegetable leather and other materials of 100% vegetable and natural origin, with fabrics made from recycled bottles. For the design, the emphasis was placed on research intooptimization and weight reduction of the electric vehicle by using lighter materials such as carbon and aluminum.
The Lightyear 0 has a cabin that can accommodate up to five people. It's also worth noting that Lightyear's electric car is designed as a electric family car and not as an electric city car.
See also : Top 5 best electric family cars
Performance: not for fast drivers?
On the other hand, the Dutch brand has decided not to focus on performance with its Lightyear 0, but rather on its efficient and autonomousand energy efficiency.
As a result, it's far from a record-breaker in terms of figures, with a top speed of 160 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of ten seconds.
But this lack of performance is notably covered by a very low fuel consumption.
In fact, the Lightyear 0 predicts a consumption of just 10.5 kWh per 100 km/h, making this solar-powered electric vehicle very low energy consumption and therefore highly ecological.
See also : Top 8 electric cars with the lowest fuel consumption
Ideal range for short trips
As for the range of the Lightyear 0, this should be between 560 and 1000 km. A wide range, then, depending above all on the climatic factor and the amount of sunshine available to recharge the solar electric car.
The maximum daily distance claimed is 70 kilometers, a distance that allows the Lightyear 0 to be driven without the need for recharging. The aim is to enable drivers who only make short daily journeys to drive for several months without needing to recharge their vehicle. Of course, this would only be possible if the electric car could be exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. which, depending on the climate, would make it possible cover between 6,000 and 11,000 km free of charge over the course of a year.
It will also be possible to recharge the Lightyear 0 using a standard socket if required, to recover 30 km of range per hour of recharging. The maximum recharging power compatible with the Lightyear 0 is not very high, as it is only only 50 kW. At this power, however, the electric car can be recharged quickly and almost completely in an hour.
See also : How do you recharge your electric car?
Too high a price for a green car?
On the negative side, the Lightyear 0 is far from being an affordable vehicle. Indeed, the price of this first prototype of the Lightyear 0 is expected to reach €250,000making it an electric car in the very high-end segment.
Lightyear's ambitions
While production of this first solar electric car model is only planned in limited quantities, the Dutch company has bigger ambitions for the future of solar electric mobility.
Lightyear is planning series production of new solar electric vehicle models in the near future under the name Lightyear 2this time much more affordable priced at around €30,000..
These forecasts point to a potentially fruitful future for solar-powered vehicles over the next few years.
