The arrival on the market Lightyear One it was a real revolution. It is a project born in Netherlands, with the premise of taking advantage of the advances in technology in electric cars, to revive the solar car projects that had been shelved many years ago. And that is because the problem of a vehicle that intends to drive thanks to the photovoltaic energy it required large panel surfaces in a horizontal position and a minimum space for one occupant, in addition to the need to be as light as possible, since the more weight, the less autonomy could be achieved.
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What this project did was apply solar energy for two purposes: extend autonomy of their own lithium ion batteries with which an electric car is powered as a starting point, but also, to get some autonomy completely free for short or low-speed journeys, which would make the vehicle the perfect example of fully sustainable mobility.
They did it with the Lightyear, which they officially renamed, going from being called “One” to “Cero”, although represented with a number and not with letterssince it truly became the foundation stone of a new concept for the global automotive industry, since it is capable of driving up to 70 km per day using only the energy captured from the sun. The car was tested during 2021, when it set the record of 1,000 km on a full charge, and production and delivery began in mid-2022, although with a strong limitation for those who wanted to purchase it: its price.
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The car had been promoted to buy under the reservation system at 150,000 euros, but once the pre-sale was closed, its price is much higher since it requires disbursing 250,000 euros to own a unit.
The enthusiasm for this type of mobility, however, was much higher than what its creators expected, so that in a short time the idea of trying a car with the same technology but with fewer features, dimensions and price began to haunt their heads. . And it has been once again in the CES Las Vegas 2023 who were encouraged to show some very underhanded features, while the star of the stand was the car that is already on the market, the Lightyear 0.
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As a first name it was decided to name it very logically as lightyear 2and the main technical characteristics that have been reported are that its autonomy will be around 800 km and its price should not exceed 37,000 euros or 40,000 dollars.
“Lightyear 2 will accelerate our mission to offer a clean mobility around the world And everywhere. It is the first electric vehicle that allows consumers to prioritize sustainability without sacrificing practicality. By harnessing the power of the sun, Lightyear 2 elevates the electric driving experience and reduces reliance on strained power grids. In fact, while Lightyear 2 vehicles require less charging from the grid than a conventional electric car, they also flip the script by putting clean power back into the grid,” he said. lex hoefslootCEO and co-founder of Lightyear in Las Vegas.
This is a novelty that would come with the model 2 of the brand, which in the first relative images that they published, shows a cover similar to the charging cover to connect the car to the network, but which is designed to inject electricity from the car to a house. Although this is something that has already been seen in many models, all of them tend to have a large electrical capacity, so they can have a charge to return to the network. With the Lightyear 2, this has more merit because this car that recharges its battery with sunlight.
The vehicle shown has a similar shape to its predecessor although a little more compact, as well as having a SUV-like ground clearance and access to a large trunk in a fastback tail, which, like the roof and the hood, will be covered with photovoltaic energy absorption panels. The company’s intention is for the car to be available for purchase from 2025.
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