Dutch Startup Unveils First-ever Long-range Solar Luxury Car
Helmond, Netherlands-based Lightyear’s Lightyear One has a range of 450 miles, recharges via the sun plus electric charging.
The Netherlands is a lot of things to a lot of people. Florists likely can’t get enough of the country’s tulips, while art lovers have more than enough places to enjoy and purchase their favorite pieces. Then, there are the engineers who look on in amazement at the world’s largest land reclamation project that the country happens to be, and all of us who are floored by the existence of the Donkervoort D8 GTO and the Spyker C12 Zagato.
Turns out the Netherlands also has what could possibly be the future of motoring. The Daily Mail reports a startup based in the Eindhoven suburb of Helmond has just unveiled its first-ever long-range solar-powered car, dubbed the Lightyear One.
“This moment represents a new era of driving,” said Lightyear CEO and co-founder Lex Hoefsloot. “Two years of dreaming, thinking and working hard have led to this milestone, which is a giant leap towards achieving our mission of making clean mobility available to everyone.”
Born from the minds of Solar Team Eindhoven in 2016, the Lightyear One has 54 square feet of solar panels draping the roof and hood of this silver bullet of a car, which would soak up enough rays for a range of 450 miles in one go. According to Hoefsloot, the Lightyear One would be able to travel some 12,400 miles annually on the sun alone through its small battery, combined with the high-tech lightweight materials used in the making of the car.
“The main goal of the car is to fill in where electric cars fall short,” Hoefsloot said. “Research has shown that range and the lack of charging options are still the top concerns that people have when considering electric cars.”
Speaking of electric cars (like those from Tesla, Audi and Lotus), the Lightyear One not only uses the sun to move on down the road, but can also be charged from a range of charging stations using a 230-volt socket to get the job done, good for cloudy days, the dark of night, and in tandem with the nuclear fusion plant in the sky.
Inside, the Lightyear One offers a minimalist interior comprised of fine recycled woods, metal, and what appears to be a tweed-covered dashboard. The infotainment center is comprised of a large screen planted firmly against the center section of the dash. It’s what a car of its kind should resemble on the inside, after all.
The Lightyear One is expected to hit the road in 2021, though one can reserve one of the first 500 Pioneer Edition cars for around $136,000 (100 of which have already been reserved); the full price is around $170,000. The long-range solar car can also be leased for around $2,140 per month. No word on whether the United States will see the Lightyear One roll down the highway in the coming decade.
Photos: Lightyear One and Twycer.nl
