Automotive

Lightyear previews $40K everyman solar EV with 500 miles of range

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Like the Lightyear 0, the Lightyear 2 will have plenty of built-in solar charging capability
Lightyear
Like the Lightyear 0, the Lightyear 2 will have plenty of built-in solar charging capability
Lightyear
It looks like the Lightyear 2 might come with an available power outlet for tapping into the battery and powering outside tools and accessories
Lightyear
The Lightyear 2 shows a more conventional design without the Lightyear 0's extended tail or covered rear wheel wells
Lightyear
Lightyear aims to get the Lightyear 2 to market for a base price around $40,000, about 5.5 times less than the price of the Lightyear 0
Lightyear
Lightyear provides a sneak peek at the Lightyear 2, ahead of a fuller premiere planned for later this year
Lightyear
Along with the first preview of the 2, Lightyear showed its 0 sedan at CES 2023
Along with the first preview of the 2, Lightyear showed its 0 sedan at CES 2023
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Boasting an ultra-efficient design worth nearly 400 miles (644 km) of range, an integrated solar array large enough to charge in over 40 miles (64 km) a day, and the lowest drag coefficient out there, the Lightyear 0 might just be the world's most impressive EV. But with a price tag nearing US$270,000, it's also prohibitively expensive. That's where the new Lightyear 2 sedan comes in, offering the same style of efficient, aerodynamic, solar-boosting capability in a smaller package priced for the masses. And the waitlist is officially open.

Lightyear dazzled CES 2023 attendees with a preview of the Lightyear 2 last week, officially opening up its waitlist for those eagerest to get their hands on the small sedan. Those on the waitlist will be the first to know when actual preorders open for their specific country, giving them the chance to reserve one of the very first Lightyear 2 cars.

Along with the first preview of the 2, Lightyear showed its 0 sedan at CES 2023

While the Lightyear 0 was Lightyear's proof of concept and the culmination of six years of research and development, the Lightyear 2 will be the company's foray into mass marketability. Lightyear aims for the car to use its independent solar charging to cut overall lifetime emissions to half those of conventional EVs that rely solely on the power grid for charging. The company estimates the Lightyear 2 will need one third the number of plug-in charges of a non-solar EV.

Even more than with a regular electric vehicle, Lightyear 2 range will vary from one driver to the next, reflecting differences in driving style, road type, climate and sun intensity, among other variables. Lightyear bases its 500-mile (800-km) per plug-in estimate on a Chicago-based commuter driving roughly 15,000 miles (24,140 km) a year in total. It does not break down how much of that range is from the battery pack itself versus added via solar charging, but it does estimate that the solar panels on the Lightyear 0 can charge in up to 44 miles (70 km) a day in the right conditions. The Lightyear 2 has a shorter profile, however, so likely has less solar capacity.

Lightyear provides a sneak peek at the Lightyear 2, ahead of a fuller premiere planned for later this year
Lightyear

Lightyear is holding additional details for the Lightyear 2's official debut later this year, but the initial teaser photos show a compact four-door that derives roof- and hood-integrated solar panels from the Lightyear 0. The new car has a more conventional silhouette, loses the rear wheel fairings and relies on a different aerodynamic wheel design, as compared to the Lightyear 0. A power outlet is located just behind the passenger-side front wheel.

The world should get its first full look at the Lightyear 2 later this year, but those on the Lightyear 2 waitlist will have to go well longer before getting behind the wheel. Lightyear currently plans to begin production in late 2025.

Source: Lightyear

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11 comments
Chase
It's difficult to convince me that slapping solar panels on a car is anything but a stupid gimmick. They'd be much more useful on the roof of a building than on the roof of a car.
Nobody
I have a garage to keep my cars out of the sun and weather. How much electricity will be used to air condition this solar hot box every time you get in for a drive?
Pupp1
"Lightyear 0 can charge in up to 44 miles (70 km) a day in the right conditions. " ... they don't describe these "right conditions". I am guessing they are likely to be in a lab.

One wonders what the real-life charging capability will be. The engineers really should have studied that. I also wonder if the real-world vibrations and physical loads of a moving vehicle will affect the solar panel's lifespan.

The fact that they don't mention any real-world situations suggests that they are so low that they didn't want to release that info. Sadly, hiding real-world results is not unusual in the "green" industry.
paul314
Even if the gain is only 20-25 miles in a day, that's more than the daily commute for a lot of people, and quite plausibly the majority of miles driven in a year. Obviously a car like this wouldn't be for everyone, but then no single model of car is for everyone.
1stClassOPP
I’d gladly trade my (to me) useless sunroof (moon roof?j for something that at least contributes something more useful. Perhaps if solar panels replaced sun roof, there might be enough juice to run a fan while parked in a hot sun, or possibly provide a little heat in the winter, while parked.
Just sayin….
Glen Hillier
I think the 2 looks better than the 0. Never liked the rear wheel thing on the 0.
christopher
It's going to be a pretty short waitlist - that's one but-ugly car. It takes 3 house-sized solar panels (i.e. more than the size they've got on their car already) to get to 1kw, which yields 4kwh in a day in a sunny place - so the only place you're going to get 70km range from that is if you can find a very long road down a very steep hill, and you start at the top - and even then 70km is still an absurd goal.
HAL
Or one could add solar panels to the roof of a carport and recharge nearly any EV while parked and keep the car cool too.
nopria
Great project, every centimeter of this car is made for efficency, that's the kind of car I was waiting for. Motors in every wheel (no transmission, greater control of car stability, greater energy recovery), maximum aerodynamics, great inverter efficiency, great battery management, thermal isolation (to lower the energy needed for heating/cooling), no wonder it can run a lot of kilometers on solar panels. Those who say solar panels are almost useless are partially right, solar panels are useless on most electric cars because of their inefficiency, but not on this car.
P51d007
40k but, after "dealer markups", state regulation fees, federal regulation fees, the price should be in the 70K range. LOL