NOVEMBER 6, 2021
Electric cars are being dubbed as the future of private and commercial transport and this guy from the Netherlands is building solar-powered cars that need to be charged only once in two years.
Sounds too good to be true? Well, the company called “Lightyear” makes solar-powered electric cars that do not need to be charged every day. Called the “Lightyear One,” the vehicle in question may currently run for months before it needs to be plugged in.
Impressive electric vehicle: The Lightyear One
In conversation with Interesting Engineering, Lightyear’s CEO Lex Hoefsloot said that they’ve already conducted 20 durability tests on the Lightyear One, implying that it is ready to hit the road. Months of charge in one go means user freedom of unparalleled levels.
The model in question reportedly consumed only 83 Wh/km, which is thrice as less as the consumption of other electric vehicles currently available in the market.
Equipped with solar panels on its roof, the Lightyear One can charge at an impressive rate of 12 kilometres per hour.
With climate change now becoming more pronounced each day, the complete shift to electric-powered vehicles seems inevitable, at least in Europe where the vehicles are being developed.
And Lightyear One has shown promising results during prototype testing. On a single charge, the Lightyear One was able to cover 709 kilometres (441 miles).
While the current prototype may provide a few months of transit on a single charge, the goal for Hoefsloot is to create a vehicle in 15 years that needs to be charged only once or twice a year, he told Interesting Engineering.
With small batteries and charging paraphernalia, the company doesn’t want to compromise on design, feasibility, and space in its pursuit of electric cars that can go for years!
Citation
Young, C. (2021b, November 4). The Solar-Powered Lightyear One Will “Drive For Months Without Charging.” Interesting Engineering.
