Long-range solar-electric vehicle pioneer Lightyear has achieved a major technology performance milestone by driving 441 mi (710 km) with its Lightyear One prototype car. Never before has a production-intent electric vehicle (EV) driven such a long range on a relatively small battery, claims the company.
“After four years of hard work and in-house development, this is a very important engineering and technological milestone,” said Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and Co-founder of Lightyear. “It validates the performance of our patented technology and truly shows that we are able to deliver on our promise to introduce the most efficient electric vehicle.”
The prototype traveled over 440 mi with an energy consumption of only 137 W·h/mi at 53 mph (85 km/h).
“Even the most efficient electric cars in the market today consume around 50% more energy at this relatively low speed,” added Hoefsloot. “We are confident that in the coming months, we will be able to reach a similar level of energy consumption at highway speed.”
Lowering energy consumption per mile means that an EV can provide more range with a smaller battery. Partners helping in the efficiency effort are Bridgestone, Royal DSM, SunPower, and Maxeon.
“Because batteries are the most expensive part of an EV, you can lower the purchase price of the car and achieve affordable electric cars with a lot of range, which don’t need a lot of charging,” said Hoefsloot. “Low-energy-consuming cars can also benefit a lot more from adding solar cells to the car and gain about 45 miles of charge on a sunny day.”
The prototype was evaluated at the Aldenhoven Testing Center in Germany, the crucial step to verify and validate all assumptions of the vehicle’s performance. The test was run to validate solar-panel yield, battery performance, cooling system energy consumption, in-wheel motor function, and car operating software.
“The reason why we are so proud today is that the technology that we developed in the last five years, like the most efficient inverters on the planet, the most efficient in-wheel motors, but also the most efficient solar panels—all contribute together to get to this achievement,” said Hoefsloot, in a YouTube video.
Lightyear One’s efficiency highlights include a record-breaking drag coefficient (Cd) of less than 0.20, making it the most aerodynamic five-seater to date while still providing 780 L (27.5 ft3) of storage space. The chassis uses a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber for lightweight while maintaining rigorous safety standards.
The car’s integrated solar technology greatly reduces the need for grid-charging, with the patented double-curved 5-m² solar array achieving 215 Wp/m². The car’s four independently controlled in-wheel motors enable a 97% efficient drivetrain, a weighted WLTP cycle efficiency of 91%, and total vehicle torque of 1920 N·m (1416 lb·ft). Residual heat is captured and re-used to maintain critical components at their optimal temperature with minimum energy loss.
Other upcoming tests are related to the homologation process such as the crash tests and an official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure) drive-cycle test.
Lightyear is on a mission to make “clean mobility available to everyone, everywhere,” and is gearing up for the manufacturing of Lightyear One. It believes that the concept of a long-range solar car represents a huge opportunity to change mobility, allowing drivers to go for months without charging.
The exclusive series of 946 Lightyear One’s will go into production in the first half of 2022. Lightyear wants to address the mass market starting in 2024.
More on Lightyear:
Bridgestone aids Lightyear solar car efficiency with custom tires
