The Lightyear One is a solar-powered electric vehicle that was first revealed to the public in late 2017. The car was developed by a team of Dutch engineers and designed by Belgian car designer Sasha Louyaert. The company behind the car, Lightyear, was founded in 2016 by Dutch entrepreneurs Laurens van den Acker and Lex Hoefsloot.
In May 2019, Lightyear announced that it had stopped production on the Lightyear One, citing financial difficulties. The company had only managed to produce a handful of prototype vehicles, and it is unclear what will happen to the €250,000 (~$280,000) that has been invested in the project.
The Lightyear One was unique among electric vehicles in that it was designed to be powered by solar panels integrated into the body of the car. The car could theoretically travel up to 725 km (451 miles) on a single charge, depending on conditions.
Despite the apparent setback, Lightyear remains committed to its mission of making solar-powered electric vehicles a reality. The company is currently working on a second-generation prototype that it hopes to bring to market in the near future.
Lightyear stops production on €250,000 solar-powered EV
By: John Doe
Lightyear, the Dutch startup that wants to build the world’s most efficient solar-powered car, has stopped production on its €250,000 Lightyear One prototype.
The company says it is refocusing its efforts on building a more affordable production vehicle, which it plans to launch in 2021.
Lightyear One was first unveiled in 2017 and was billed as the world’s first long-range solar-powered car. It was designed to be able to travel up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) on a single charge, and could be recharged by solar power in just four hours.
The company had planned to start production of the Lightyear One in 2019, but delays in raising funding meant that it missed that deadline. It had only managed to produce a handful of prototypes by the time production was halted.
Lightyear says it has now raised €30 million in funding, which it will use to develop its production vehicle. The company says the new car will be “several times more affordable” than the Lightyear One, but did not give an exact price.
The production vehicle will have a range of 350 kilometers (217 miles) and will be able to recharge in just one hour. Lightyear says it will be targeting fleet customers with the car, such as taxi and delivery companies.
The company was founded by a team of engineers from Tesla, Airbus, and BMW. Its investors include Mainport Innovation Fund, btov Ventures, and Siemens.
Lightyear, a Dutch startup that was aiming to build a solar-powered car that could travel 500 kilometers (310 miles) on a single charge, has stopped production on its Lightyear One EV.
The company made the announcement on its website, saying that it had not been able to find the “right strategic partner” to mass-produce the car. It also said that production costs had been higher than expected.
The Lightyear One was first unveiled in 2017 and was supposed to go on sale in 2020. The company had started taking reservations for the car, with a deposit of €5,000 (about $5,600).
The car was designed to be charged by solar panels on its roof and hood. It had a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles) and could reach a top speed of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour).
The Lightyear One was supposed to be the first in a range of solar-powered cars from the company.
Lightyear says that it will refund all deposits and is no longer taking reservations for the car.