Lightyear has given a first hint about the first “affordable” variant of its solar car. The car is called Lightyear 2. It will have five seats, and a large trunk and will not cost about €30,000, but a maximum of €40,000. The Helmond-based company revealed this on Thursday at a major tech fair in Las Vegas. Potential buyers can sign up on the waiting list for the car starting Thursday.
Later, they can then be the first to reserve a final copy of the Lightyear 0’s cheaper sibling. The company will produce Lightyear 2 by the end of 2025.
Less sporty, more family car
The new electric car has an estimated range of 800 kilometers, according to Lightyear. That includes solar panels. This puts the total range of the new variant slightly lower than the Lightyear 0. The latter should reach a thousand kilometers without a plug-in charge.
Lightyear does not want to reveal many more details about the new solar car yet. The Helmond-based company has already said that the Lightyear 2 will be more of a family car than its predecessor. The new car is less sporty because of the higher entry level.
Lightyear as a home battery
Compared to other electric cars, the Lightyear 2 emits fifty percent less CO2, according to the company. The car and battery are lighter. And because there are solar panels on the car, the Lightyear will soon also be able to supply power to appliances at home, as a kind of home battery.
Director Lex Hoefsloot: “Through the efficient use of sunlight, the Lightyear 2 takes the electric driving experience to a higher level, while at the same time reducing dependence on already overburdened electricity grids. In fact, the car even delivers clean energy to the grid.”
Produced in the Netherlands?
The company has already received 21,000 second-generation Lightyears pre-orders from major leasing and sharing car companies such as LeasePlan, MyWheels, Arval, and Athlon. Earlier, the cost of the affordable solar car priced around €30,000, but now the price is substantially revised to a maximum of €40,000.
Part of the Lightyear 2 is currently visible at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, an influential tech show for innovative companies. The new model will be presented in full in the middle of this year. The company will announce all the details then. Lightyear does not yet want to reveal if the affordable variant will be produced here.
Production of the Helmond-based company’s first solar car, the Lightyear 0, recently began in Finland. They will make a maximum of 946 units of the luxury model. The price tag of the first Lightyear – €250,000 – is a lot higher than that of its successor.
Source: Omroepbrabant
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta. She also gives online INBURGERING classes.
