The world's first mass-produced solar car 'Lightyear 0' is scheduled to start shipping in November 2022

Solar cars that run by converting the energy of solar energy into power have existed for a long time, and solar car races have been held, but in recent years there has been a slight downturn despite the drop in the price of solar cells. It has become. To make a difference in this situation, the ' Lightyear 0 ', the world's first mass-produced solar car, is scheduled to be shipped as early as November 2022.

Lightyear 0 is here — the world's first production-ready solar car

According to solar car maker Lightyear, fossil fuel vehicles travel about 9,460 billion kilometers a year, which is equivalent to one light-year. Lightyear has a high goal of replacing it all with solar cars by 2035.

The world's first mass-produced solar car 'Lightyear 0' will be the forerunner.

A Bright Horizon — Global Premiere of the World's First Solar Car-YouTube


There is a movement to stop selling fossil fuel vehicles worldwide in order to solve environmental problems. Instead, electric vehicles (EVs) will increase.

According to Lightyear co-founder Rex Hofsroot, 84 million EVs are expected to run around town in Europe alone by 2030, but the expansion of charging stations will not meet EV demand. The industry has a policy of increasing the amount of batteries installed in order to extend the cruising range, resulting in an increase in carbon dioxide emissions during production and an increase in the need for high-power charging stations.

'Our strategy is a reversal of that approach. Lightyear 0 delivers longer range with fewer batteries, reducing weight and carbon emissions per vehicle,' explains Hofthruth.

Lightyear 0 can run for weeks or months without charging by optimizing the solar roof and overall design. If the daily commuting distance is 35km, it can run for 2 months even if it is cloudy, and it can run for 7 months in a country with strong sunlight.

The charging method is not limited to sunlight, but it also supports charging from an outlet, and even with a normal household outlet, it is possible to charge for 32 km per hour. If it is a charging station, it can be charged for 200km in 1 hour, and if it supports high-speed charging, it can be charged for 520km in 1 hour.

Lightyear 0 will start test drive in June 2022, production will start in the fall of 2022, and the first production vehicle is expected to reach the driver in November 2022. The price is 250,000 euros (about 35.6 million yen).