At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Lightyear announced their “First come, First drive” waitlist for the new Lightyear solar powered EV. With space for five and ample luggage room, Lightyear 2 is built for all of life’s adventures, long distances, and even its unscripted challenges.
The Dutch high-tech company was the first to produced a solar-powered electric car, the Lightyear 0. However, the zero cost $250,000. Thankfully, the Lightyear 2 will cost a lot less. It is expected to start at under $40,000 in the US. Lightyear says the first regions for the launch of the Lightyear 2 will be the US, UK and EU, with production expected to start by the end of 2025. Individual consumers can join the waitlist, and be first in line to pre order the Lightyear 2.
“Lightyear 2 will fast track our mission of delivering clean mobility to everyone, everywhere. This is the first EV that allows consumers to prioritize sustainability, without compromising on practicality. By harnessing the power of the sun, Lightyear 2 elevates the electric driving experience and reduces reliance on strained electricity grids. In fact, while Lightyear 2 vehicles require less charging from the electricity grid than a conventional EV, they also flip the script by providing clean energy back into the grid.” – Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and Co-Founder of Lightyear
With Lightyear 2, drivers will halve their lifetime CO2 emissions compared to a conventional EV and offer a real life driving range of over 500 miles until your next charge. The company is encouraging people to reconsider their relationship with their vehicle and the energy that drives it. Solar EVs are the next generation of clean electric mobility, and Lightyear 2 is the vehicle set to democratize solar electric driving. With 21,000 pre-orders of Lightyear 2 from international leasing and ride sharing partners, LeasePlan, MyWheels, Arval and Athlon, even more drivers will benefit from solar electric driving across the globe.
According to EY’s mobility consumer index report, 52% of car buyers have considered purchasing an electric vehicle, but adoption rates continue to remain low due to barriers like anxiety around driving range, pricing, and lack of home charging and sparse public charging networks. The automotive industry’s strategy so far has added weight and emissions. Lightyear provides a solution to that by introducing this hyper-efficient solar electric vehicle.
Through its energy-efficient design and integrated solar cells, Lightyear aims to eliminate the two biggest concerns for electric cars – high charging frequency and limited range. This allows motorists to drive up to eleven thousand kilometers per year with the power of the sun, depending on the climate. The fast-growing company was founded in 2016 and currently employs over 600 people. The team comprises a mix of young talent and experienced names from the automotive and technology industries. In 2019, Lightyear launched its first driving prototype, and, in June 2022, the company unveiled its production-intent vehicle, the Lightyear 0, which started limited production in November 2022. The subsequent, high-volume series, Lightyear 2, is slated to start production in 2025.
