Lightyear One Is A Solar-Powered Electric Car That Can Be Driven For Months Without Needing To Be Recharged

The Lightyear One, a solar-powered electric vehicle developed in the Netherlands and extensively tested in Italy, drove 400 km on a single charge while maintaining a constant speed of 130 km/h. According to the manufacturer, regular driving will give you a range of 725km (WLTP). However, maybe the boldest claim of the Lightyear One's creator is that it may potentially be driven "for months without charging".

The Lightyear One, according to its developer, can live off-the-grid due to its array of solar panels that absorb energy from the sun to charge the 60 kWh battery. Solar panels covering five square meters of the One's roof, hood, and tail may generate up to 12 km of range per hour.

That implies that a stopped Lightyear One might produce 96km of driving range during a bright eight-hour workday. Even in cloudy situations, the Lightyear One can gather roughly 40 km of range. The 14.1 kWh/100 km result came from a recent 130 km/h test. According to the manufacturer, this amount reduces to 8.3 kWh/100 km under regular driving circumstances.

The movement is provided by four electric engines, one for each wheel. They produce a total of 101 kW and 1200 Nm when used simultaneously. Lightyear One estimates a 0-100 km/h sprint time of roughly 10 seconds for its five-seater sedan, which is designed for cruising and efficiency more than speed.

The Lightyear One is produced in Finland. The first deliveries, which will be limited to Europe, are slated to begin in mid-2022. It costs €150,000, and only 946 automobiles will be produced. The business is already working on a cheaper solar-powered electric vehicle. The Lightyear Two, with a base price of €30,000, is set to go on sale in 2024-2025.