6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

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DECEMBER 16, 2021

Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car

Fred Lambert - Dec. 16th 2021 3:06 am PT  @FredericLambert

38 Comments     

Lightyear, a startup known for developing an expensive solar car, announced its second vehicle, and it’s
going to be a much less expensive ~$34,000 solar electric car.

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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

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Lightyear first caught our attention because it spun out of Solar Team Eindhoven, a group of
engineering students from the Technical University of Eindhoven (Netherlands) who have been
competing in the World Solar Challenge with their Stella and Stella Lux, energy positive solar cars –
meaning that they can produce more energy than they consume.

After a successful competition, the student engineers created Lightyear to try to commercialize their
solar electric car.

Back in 2019, they unveiled the Lightyear One, an electric sedan with integrated solar cells that help
push the range to 450 miles (725 km) based on the WLTP cycle.

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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

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The Lightyear One, like most first vehicles from a manufacturer, is not cheap. The company previously
announced a starting price of €149,000 including VAT ($170,000 USD).

Earlier this year, the startup secured $110 million in funding to bring the vehicle to market next year.

This week, the company announced a deal with LeasePlan, a Car-as-a-Service company, to “reserve
5,000 cars of Lightyear’s second model, which is scheduled to go into production by 2024/2025.”

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Lightyear didn’t release many details about this new vehicle to come after the Lightyear One, but it
confirmed that it plans to launch it in Europe and North America, and it should start at around €30,000
(the equivalent of $33,779) via Carscoops.

The goal is to use the knowledge acquired building the expensive and low-volume production Lightyear
One to develop the higher-volume production and less-expensive solar car, which is dubbed Lightyear
Two.

The company didn’t elaborate on the form factor, but it’s clear that Lightyear’s focus is on highly
aerodynamic and efficient designs with embedded solar cells to push the range even more.

More details are expected to come next year, but for now, the company is focused on the Lightyear
One.
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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

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38 Comments Electrek 🔒 
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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

 Favorite 3 t Tweet f Share Sort by Best

Jake
Larsen
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I would buy one of these in a heartbeat at that price. Rooting

for their success!
11 △ ▽ • Share ›

Actually thoughtful > Jake Larsen • 6 months ago

I've often commented that just like solar on a residential
rooftop, solar on a vehicle rooftop is such a huge value
proposition (range anxiety just flipped on its head...) and
such a money saver, that the internal logic will compel
these vehicles towards market success, if not market
dominance (the technology, not necessarily this
brand/vehicle).
△ ▽ • Share ›

newSteveZodiac • 6 months ago

One thing we know for sure, it won't have rear wheel steering.
9△ ▽ • Share ›

Nominalis • 6 months ago

You can park your solar car in between your flying car and your
hydrogen fuel cell car.
6△ ▽ • Share ›

AnyPronounWillDo > Nominalis • 6 months ago

And store your jetpacks in the frunk.
△ ▽ • Share ›

Edgy • 6 months ago

I’ll believe it when I see it. Sounds like it will almost definitely
not come out at anywhere near that price.
6△ ▽ • Share ›

Luc D > Edgy • 6 months ago

Unless, because of the efficiencies, it can get away with
a smaller and cheaper battery pack, let's say 35-
40KWh.
2△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

Zorro Cortes • 6 months ago

Well, that's a much more reasonable price target. They have
engineering expertise and experience, but they have no
manufacturing expertise and I'd bet they don't have a lot of
practice trying to make a vehicle comfortable. Still not super-
optimistic about this, but they'll have more interest in their
product now that they have lowered the entry bar
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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek
product now that they have lowered the entry bar.
3 △
▽ • Share ›

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Randy888
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> Zorro
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Cortes • 6 months ago
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in 2025 i will be in moon with cybrtrck drivin
1△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

newSteveZodiac > Randy888 • 6 months ago

Don't be fooled, I'm still waiting for a flying car.
2△ ▽ • Share ›

Jonathan Lucas > newSteveZodiac

• 6 months ago
They're called helicopters, and they kind
of suck
1△ ▽ • Share ›

Teslanator > Randy888 • 6 months ago • edited

Making it to the Moon will make Lightyear one
heck of a commuter EV. Please be sure to bring
your oxygen supply for the entire duration of
your “cybrtrck” commute.
△ ▽ • Share ›

fdl_seven > Zorro Cortes • 6 months ago

They have partnered with an experienced small series
manufacturer, Valmet Automotive. Valmet has made
Porsche, Fisker and Mercedes cars.
△ ▽ • Share ›

*Rich • 6 months ago • edited

This is a winning concept, like any design that requires
smaller/less batteries.

Apple should pick it up and stop using their EV efforts as an

annual tax write-off. If not Apple, then an experienced Chinese
EV manufacturer who may be battery constrained could bring
this to market at that price point and ramp production in 2024.
2△ ▽ • Share ›

Alaa • 6 months ago

I want one Elon.
2△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

UltimaRex > Alaa • 6 months ago

Wrong guy.
2△ ▽ • Share ›

Dwaine Flener • 6 months ago

Is this gonna be a venture with a China based company.
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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek

1△ ▽ • Share ›

Joe Black • 6 months ago

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Beautiful.
1△ ▽ • Share ›

Dan • 6 months ago

Lightyear and Aptera should really get together.
2△ ▽ 2 • Share ›

AAJ > Dan • 6 months ago

No they shouldn't.
2△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

djplong • 6 months ago

So let me get this straight. In 4 years we might have access to
a car built by a brand new company touting solar cells for
recharging which, in the past, has never shown to be able to
add even 10 miles of range in a day. ...but this one also puts
the expensive solar cells on the hood so maybe it might be
able to get to 10 miles.

...unless you park in your garage, where you'd charge normally

at much higher speeds.

...but maybe you're in an apartment - when you're not at work -

and you can get a couple of miles there - unless you're in the
shadow of the apartment block next door or have to park in you
apartment block's garage...

I really wouldn't be going through all the expense and weight of

solar panels when they really return next to nothing for the
increased price.
1△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

super390 > djplong • 6 months ago

Math is your friend. If you know how much energy the
most efficient EVs possible will consume, and you know
how much electricity can be stored from thin-film panels
(which are not heavy) or other recent developments in a
given locale, then you will know how much range you
will obtain. Someone in an Indian city who doesn't have
access to Superchargers or even a garage might look at
this differently than you.
1△ ▽ • Share ›

djplong > super390 • 6 months ago

The math has been done - 10 miles is about it
under the best of circumstances. You get more
and better charging on a Model 3 from a regular
110v outlet And if this is as light and efficient as
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6/14/22, 10:52 AM Lightyear announces ~$34,000 solar electric car - Electrek
110v outlet. And if this is as light and efficient as

they say, you'd do better than the Tesla's 3 to 5
miles per hour of charge on what amounts to an
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extension cord. And
ifAutonomy
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you from even using a "wall outlet", then buying
an EV is probably not on your list.

And that's before you get to fragility - how the

panels stand up to hail, etc.
△ ▽ • Share ›

Actually thoughtful > djplong • 6 months ago

It is the same logic that drives solar rooftop - take a look
at Australia for the future of rooftop solar, and the
obvious future or EVs (hint: having your own power
source trump not having your own power source).
Economics and logic will drive this to success (perhaps
not this company, but I am not ruling them out). If you
are actually interested, as opposed to taking random
pot shots based on old information, check out Sono
motors - they are on the same path, and have done the
math you are struggling with.
△ ▽ • Share ›

djplong > Actually thoughtful • 6 months ago

When solar panels on a car are on par with a
regular 110v outlet, then I'll start believing. Until
then, this is more media hype.
△ ▽ • Share ›

AAJ • 6 months ago

Personally, I think this is a mistake. For small EV companies
it's easier to exist with a premium product with high margins
than a low cost mass produced car. The Lightyear One is an
amazing car, but entering a different market with lower magins
and one where people prefer a SUV/SUper Mini, this is a big
ask.
1△ ▽ 1 • Share ›

dreadnaut > AAJ • 6 months ago

Neither product is going to make it to market. They've
been made completely obsolete before launch by the
EQS and Lucid, amongst others
△ ▽ 3 • Share ›

Solarman • 6 months ago • edited

Ran across another article that is claiming a WLTP test of
around 425 or so miles. Another claim of a 60kWh battery pack
with no mention of battery chemistry. It will more than likely be
limited to 70% of battery capacity at best or something like
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limited to 70% of battery capacity at best or something like
42kWh
actual available battery pack capacity.

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best of around 800 to 1,000 watts of charging for about 2 to 4
hours a day. I would think the vibration and flex of intrinsic solar
PV cells would sooner or later crack and degrade the overall
solar PV harvest each day. One large hail event could render
the solar cells useless. The reality of solar PV as part of a

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