Bright outlook for solar-power EVs
DUTCH firm Lightyear also wants to harness the clean, free energy of solar rays. It might not offer as many of its surfaces as the Sono Sion to the sun – only one long roof panel and another on the bonnet – but that still equates to five square metres.
The design of its five-seat Lightyear 0 (formerly the Lightyear One) is sleeker than the Sion’s, courtesy of ex-Pininfarina design director Lowie Vermeersch, now at Granstudio. Lightyear says the 0 (zero) can harvest 14 miles of EV range by sitting in good sun for two hours, or between 4,0007,000 miles a year depending on climate. The firm’s engineers are working towards a range-enhancing sub-0.20 drag co-efficient.
The Pioneer Edition 0 is likely to start at £100,000 (150,000 Euros) and is also built by Valmet Automotive. It will be sold initially in selected continental European countries and will be followed by an even more expensive £200,000-plus Limited Edition.
Lightyear has just signed a deal to work with niche supercar maker Koenigsegg on future models, but it doesn’t want to stay exclusive and small-run forever. It has signed a 5,000-unit deal with LeasePlan for the Lightyear Two model due in 2024-25 for an as yet undefined but stated “affordable price point”. Lightyear is also investigating ride-hailing and sharing services to let more people use a solar-powered car.
Meanwhile, scientists from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and NASA in the US are working on lightweight solar materials for transport applications on Earth and in space. Likening it to the charged power suit worn by Marvel Comics’ Black Panther, the idea is that layered carbon-composite material can clad cars, planes, drones and spacecraft while capturing solar energy.
Prof Jayan Thomas, team leader in UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, says on the university’s website: “Our idea is to use the body shells to store energy to supplement the power in batteries. This composite can reduce the weight of your car and increase the miles per charge by 25 per cent.”