Need an electric car that goes infinite and beyond without charge?
Say hello Light year 0. It has nothing to do with Pixar or anything like that Lightning year – Instead, it is a new electric vehicle (EV) that will use the sun’s energy directly to green all other EVs.
If Light Year 0 seems familiar, it is because it is the production version of the Light Year One prototype unveiled in 2021. It has some design changes, which are basically limited to lights and cameras.
The Light Year 0 has five square meters of solar panels on the bonnet, roof and where there is usually a rear windscreen.
Curved solar panels according to Light Year can add up to 70km per day or 11,000km of driving per year, assuming you live in southern Spain and the sky is clear.
Further north in cloudy countries, such as the Netherlands, solar power generation will drop by about 20 kilometers per day. Depending on your driving pattern, it is possible to go for Light Year 0 without having to plug in for a few months.
Although it is only fitted with a small-ish 60kWh, the Lightyear 0 has a WLTP range rating of 625km.
This is thanks to the car’s super slippery body, which features cameras in place of partial rear wheel covers, aero wheels and traditional wing mirrors.
With a drag coefficient (CD) below 0.19, it should be the world’s most aerodynamic production vehicle by far. By comparison, the most affordable version of the new Mercedes-Benz EQS has a CD of 0.20.
Performance is also – to put it mildly – leisurely. Although it has four in-wheel motors, the Lightyear 0’s 0-100km / h time is 10 seconds. The maximum speed is called 160 km / h.
After all, the Lighyear 0 weighs just 1575kg, a body made of recovered carbon-fiber and extensive use of aluminum throughout the structure.
To achieve its slippery shape and maximize space for the solar array, the Light Year 0 is the Big Beast, measuring 5083 mm long, 1972 mm wide and 1445 mm long.
The cabin features naturally made vegan-friendly fabrics and a 10.1-inch infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS.
There is seating for up to five people, and the boot can hold 610L worth of things, including all seats.
Lightair says it will offer a test drive in August and production will begin at that time. The first delivery to Europe is expected in November.
Prices start at € 250,000 ($ 379,000) before adding local sales tax. Production will be limited to a maximum of 946 units per year.
The company is working on a (significantly) more affordable model – about € 30,000 ($ 45,000) – which could go into production by 2025.