[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/solar-powered-lightyear-one-electric-car\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/solar-powered-lightyear-one-electric-car\/","headline":"The Solar Powered Lightyear One Electric Car","name":"The Solar Powered Lightyear One Electric Car","description":"Lightyear are dedicated to progressing the efficiency of solar powered vehicles and the Lightyear One has an already impressive claimed range of 450 miles! If you go green and buy an electric car, then you will accept that, despite the more efficient and clean driving, you are still not really in control when it comes to how the electricity is generated that you recharge your automobile with. As of December 2017, the UK was still producing electricity mainly from fossil […]","datePublished":"2019-07-11","dateModified":"2019-07-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/The-Solar-Powered-Lightyear-One-Electric-Car-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/The-Solar-Powered-Lightyear-One-Electric-Car-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/solar-powered-lightyear-one-electric-car\/","about":["Cars","ELECTRIC CARS","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":678,"keywords":["Electric Vehicle","EVs","Lightyear One","Solar Powered electric car"],"articleBody":"Lightyear are dedicated to progressing the efficiency of solar powered vehicles and the Lightyear One has an already impressive claimed range of 450 miles!If you go green and buy an electric car, then you will accept that, despite the more efficient and clean driving, you are still not really in control when it comes to how the electricity is generated that you recharge your automobile with.As of December 2017, the UK was still producing electricity mainly from fossil fuels (approximately 50% – the remainder being evenly split between nuclear and renewable sources plus a miniscule amount of hydro produced electricity). The green chain of control effectively stops here. Though it is actually possible to charge your EV from your own home\u2019s solar panels.Solar panels themselves are becoming less unsightly, lighter, more efficient and smaller \u2013 there is now much excitement about the fully transparent solar cell that could eventually make your double-glazing generate electricity \u2013 and maybe the windows on your car too.Lightyear OneIn the meantime, we have the Lightyear One, a Dutch solar powered prototype electric car. Lightyear are a start-up company dedicated to progressing the efficiency of the solar powered vehicle, and the Lightyear One has an already impressive (claimed) range of 450 miles.It\u2019s not purely solar powered though; the Lightyear One will mostly be mains-charged like any other EV, but it does have solar panels which improves the range and should effectively cut down on the amount of tedious plugging in that a standard electric vehicle requires.Indeed, if travelling around 12,000 miles per year, Lightyear estimate that the Lightyear One will only need plugging into the mains about 25 times per year \u2013 that\u2019s about half the amount of plug-ins that a regular electric car might be subjected to.The Lightyear One will be able to accelerate from 0-100km in around 10 seconds and will seat 5 individuals. The overriding image is of a sleek looking modern family car. It\u2019s not small either, with the roof and hood mounted solar panels taking up 5 square metres of solar technology housed under safety glass.The co-founder of Lightyear, CEO Lex Hoefsloot, says the ethos behind the design philosophy has been that of achieving \u2018ultra-efficiency\u2019 and he believes that the One will be efficient enough to receive a 250-mile charge overnight from a regular power point, while sun energy will give the car around 5-6,000 miles extra per year. Ultra-efficiency goes towards building a lightweight and aerodynamic vehicle too \u2013 crucial factors when it comes to squeezing out a little bit more mileage.Solar power can be somewhat limited by your location ofcourse, and a calculator on the company\u2019s website enabled one to workout justhow much solar driving you can expect: the calculator doesn\u2019t seem to be thereat the moment, but when it was, it was indicating that the annual mileage fromdriving in London should provide you with around 41% of energy being derivedfrom solar power.Lightyear as a company arose from the World Solar Challenge, a competition that aims to encourage engineering innovation in the solar powered vehicle market. Lightyear employs around 100 people at present, with ex Tesla, Jaguar – and even Ferrari – workers on board.The company plan to release Lightyear One in 2020 (locally),and Lightyear has already struck up a deal with rental company Leaseplan, whichwould provide users with options when it came to getting hold of the car \u2013which might soften the blow a bit towards ownership; it won\u2019t be cheap ofcourse, retailing at around \u00a3133,000 upwards. A full roll out to the rest ofEurope can be expected from mid 2021.The version that will go on sale in the Netherlands will becalled the Pioneer Edition \u2013 and the company has already taken upwards of 100pre-orders already, while 500 reserve spaces are available for the 2021 releaseof the 5-seater, requiring a substantial deposit of \u00a3106,000 (a far cheaperdeposit for the 2022 release is also available). It\u2019s expensive, but what pricea luxury family car that will never leave you stranded on a sunny day?Images: drivingelectric.com, engadget.com"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Solar Powered Lightyear One Electric Car","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/solar-powered-lightyear-one-electric-car\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]