First ever solar-powered production car can go months without charging

The Lightyear 0 solar car has been unveiled by Dutch company Lightyear, a production-ready and EU-approved solar-powered vehicle.

The Lightyear 0 is an electric sedan with 5 square meters (53.8 square feet) of solar panels that can generate enough power to travel up to 70 kilometers (44 miles) without needing to plug the car in to charge. The car's 60 kWh battery holds enough charge to support 560 kilometers (348 miles) of range when freeway driving at 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour, even without generating additional solar power.

During World harmonized Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP) testing, the Lightyear 0 has a range of 625 kilometers (388 miles), beating that of the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD, which comes in at 602 kilometers (374 miles). The Model 3 Long Range AWD also has an 82 kWh battery capacity, 22 kWh larger than the Lightyear 0's, bolstering Lightyear's claims that it has created the most efficient electric drivetrain yet.

"Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they have a scaling problem. By 2030, we can expect 84 million electric vehicles (EVs) on roads in Europe alone," explained Lex Hoefsloot, Co-founder and CEO.

"There's no hiding from it, access to charging stations will not keep up with the demand for electric cars. To minimise plug-charging and maximise range, the industry's strategy, so far, has been to add batteries. That increases the carbon footprint of production and, in turn, boosts weight and the need for high-power charging stations. Our strategy flips that approach. Lightyear 0 delivers more range with less battery, reducing weight and CO₂ emissions per vehicle," Hoefsloot continued.

You can read more from Lightyear's press release here.

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