Lightyear: End of luxury solar car - focus on volume model

The production of the 250,000 Euro Lightyear 0 limousine began at the end of last year at the contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive in Finland. Originally, 946 units of the limousine, which had solar cells on the body to ensure greater range, were supposed to roll off the assembly line. The startup now wants to focus on a planned model for the mass market. The development of the Lightyear 2 is supposed to be completed by 2025.

"To preserve our vision, we had to decide to fully focus our attention and resources on the Lightyear 2. This means that we had to stop the production of the Lightyear 0," according to a statement. CEO and co-founder Lex Hoefsloot said: "Unfortunately, we had to make this decision. The entire process of developing the Lightyear 0 has brought our company many valuable insights over the past few years. We are now directing all our energy towards the development of the Lightyear 2 to make it available to our customers in a timely manner."

The highly aerodynamically designed Lightyear 0 features a rather small battery with a capacity of 60 kWh. This allowed the Dutch to save weight and increase the vehicle's efficiency. To still achieve sufficient ranges, the vehicle should virtually supply itself with electricity. The vehicle is equipped with a total of five square meters of solar cells. These allow the electric vehicle to recharge its energy storage while driving or parking. Under optimal conditions, in addition to the WLTP range of 625 kilometers, an additional range of 70 kilometers per day is expected to be achievable.

"We hope to finalize some important investments in the coming weeks to develop the Lightyear 2, an affordable solar electric vehicle for a broader audience," explains Hoefsloot. "Therefore, we firmly believe that the decision made is the best way to realize our vision: clean mobility for everyone, everywhere."

The first teaser photos of the Lightyear 2 have already been released. The small Lightyear also relies on good aerodynamics and solar technology. According to initial information, the volume model announced for 2025 will have a range of over 800 kilometers with the help of the sun. Short and medium-length trips should be possible with the Lightyear 2 entirely without external battery charging. The manufacturer promises the smallest CO₂ footprint on the market. A price of under 40,000 euros is targeted. Initially, Lightyear plans to offer the 2 in the USA, UK, and the EU.