Oct 31, 2019 15:10:00

EV “Lightyear One” capable of photovoltaic power generation sets world record of aerodynamic characteristics

In addition to the maximum cruising range of 725km when fully charged, the electric vehicle (EV) `` Lightyear One '' that can be recharged at any time with a solar panel installed on the hood and roof sets a world record for aerodynamic characteristics in a five-seater car did.

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https://lightyear.one/

Lightyear One solar car sets record for world's most aerodynamic car | The Driven
https://thedriven.io/2019/10/30/lightyear-one-solar-car-sets-record-for-worlds-most-aerodynamic-car/

Lightyear One is an EV manufactured and sold by the Dutch startup Lightyear. The biggest feature of Lightyear One is that 'solar panel' protected by safety glass is embedded in the hood and roof. Lightyear One is equipped with a battery with a maximum cruising range of 725km when fully charged, which has been proved by the fuel economy test specified by WLTP . In addition to this battery, it is possible to extend the cruising range up to 12km per hour by using solar panels to generate solar power. According to the official page, even if you run with heating in the winter, you can run 400 km on the highway.

To maximize the power of this battery and solar panel, the car body is designed with every detail, focusing on performance as well as design. Lightyear One's body seems to have realized both aerodynamic characteristics and light weight, and it aimed to minimize the energy consumed by aerodynamics. Aerodynamics is a term that refers to the force of air that acts on a car while driving. “Air resistance” works against the direction the car travels, and “lift” works in the vertical direction of the car. If aerodynamics is large, the power loss during driving increases, resulting in poor fuel consumption. Excellent aerodynamic characteristics means less aerodynamics when driving.

The latest materials are used for the car body itself, and it has cleared strict safety standards while reducing the total weight.

In addition, the wheels can be driven independently, and only the minimum necessary power is supplied according to the movement of each wheel.

As a result of

wind tunnel testing to measure aerodynamic characteristics, Lightyear One has surpassed the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A class , which has been said to be `` the best aerodynamic characteristic in the world '' so far, a new world of aerodynamic characteristics A record was established.

Lightyear has released a movie about how the body was designed and final adjusted to establish aerodynamic world records.

Lightyear One | Testing Aerodynamic Performance in the Windtunnel-YouTube


In the wind tunnel test, the air resistance and lift force were first measured in an environment such as average weather and climate.

Based on the measurement results under normal conditions, the shape is adjusted by applying tape from 20 to 25 locations on the car body. It seems to have measured how much the slight body angle affects the wind tunnel test results.

The Lightyear One is vertically long and has a gentle rear slope, so it is possible to obtain lift recovery from the wind flow generated at the rear of the car, compared to a short, steep rear slope.

The wheel cover is also an important point. It seems that the aerodynamic characteristics are greatly improved by controlling the wind around the wheels with the wheel cover.

Lightyear One will ship after 2021. The price is 149,000 euros (about 18 million yen).