Wild Lightyear 0 Goes 44 Miles on Solar Power Alone, Has 388-Mile EV Range

• Dutch brand name Lightyear is finally prepared to place its $266,000 solar car into manufacturing.

Netherlands-based business Lightyear has been servicing solar-powered EVs for the last six years using design competence from its World Solar Challenge-winning owners, and currently the Dutch brand is ultimately prepared to put something right into production. Satisfy the Lightyear 0, a smooth electric sedan that can theoretically drive for hundreds of miles on solar power alone.

If you assume you're having deja vu, don't worry. The 0 is almost similar in design to Lightyear's One that was revealed in 2019, however it's obtained a new name and also a few tweaks for manufacturing. (Lightyear says the 0 name stands for just how the brand began with an empty slate.) It has a streamlined teardrop body made from recovered carbon fiber, with its drag coefficient of simply 0.19 being a skosh far better than the Mercedes-Benz EQS however somewhat worse than the Mercedes Vision EQXX. The 0's front end has a smaller reduced intake as well as even more upswept fronts lights with amazing chevron LEDs, while the taillights currently adhere to the curve of the rear end. The 0 use cameras instead of mirrors, though they're currently installed in the front fenders, and Lightyear also fine-tuned the layout of its side skirts and also some other information. Most importantly, the 0 is available in a handful of genuine shades, consisting of three different browns and also a remarkable minty eco-friendly.

Lightyear additionally improved the 0's indoor, which is still cool now much less concept-like. The cabin uses lasting, vegan products like microfiber furniture, plant-based natural leather, textiles made from recycled containers, rattan palm wood trim and also shielded bit foam. Placed on the dash is a 10.1-inch touchscreen that runs the Android Automotive operating system, and the 0 has functions like integrated navigating, Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay, phone-as-key capability and also over-the-air updates. The 0 has space for 5 grownups, though while the indoor looks spacious and open the lack of a sunroof or back home window may make it a little claustrophobic. With the back seats up the 0's hatchback freight location has 22 cubic feet of space, matching the EQS.

The 0's specifications have altered from the first One model, as well. At 200.1 inches in length the 0 is precisely as long as a Volvo S90, yet its curb weight of 3,472 pounds is literally one ton lighter than the EQS. It includes a 60-kilowatt-hour battery pack with four electric motors that offer just 174 horse power however a large 1,269 lb-ft of torque. Lightyear states the 0 will strike 62 mph in 10 seconds as well as reach a top speed of 100 mph, but rate isn't the point. Maximum range is a declared 388 miles on the European WLTP cycle, as well as the 0 can obtain more than 320 miles in an hour of being plugged in to a quick battery charger.

But undoubtedly the 0's main event technique is its photovoltaic panels. The 0 has 5 square meters of dual bent solar arrays on the hood, roof and also hatch that can bill the car while driving or parked. This offers the 0 with as much as 44 miles of range each day in ideal conditions-- in addition to the 388-mile WLTP range. Lightyear states proprietors of the 0 with a day-to-day commute of around 22 miles could drive for 2 months in the Netherlands' summer without requiring to connect in, while people in Portugal or Spain could go without charging for seven months. Depending on the climate the sun can supply around 3,700 to 6,800 miles of range per year.

Just 946 devices of the Lightyear 0 will be produced, and also it ain't low-cost. Lightyear states the 0 begins at 250,000 Euros (regarding $266,000), virtually double the at first introduced price of the One in 2019. The 0 has an 8-year bumper-to-bumper service warranty, at the very least. Manufacturing begins this fall with initial shipment remaining in November, and also the 0 is unlikely to come to the United States.