The Lightyear 0 solar-assisted EV has began manufacturing at contract producer Valmet Automotive’s facility in Finland, Lightyear confirmed Wednesday in a press launch.
The Dutch startup mentioned Valmet will initially produce only one automobile per week, progressively scaling up manufacturing within the first quarter of 2023. The Lightyear 0 won’t ever be a mass-market automobile, although. Lightyear beforehand mentioned it is planning a run of simply 150 vehicles with a roughly $260,000 price ticket. A better quantity mannequin referred to as the Lightyear 2 is scheduled to begin manufacturing in 2025.
Lightyear 0 manufacturing at Valmet Automotive in Finland
Previously often known as the Lightyear One, the Lightyear 0 has a battery pack and onboard charger like a traditional EV, however depends totally on built-in photo voltaic panels for electrical energy.
Lightyear has emphasised that house owners won’t have to charge for months, and after they do, they will not want to fret about charging up such a big battery pack. Slightly than only a few additional miles from being parked within the solar all day, the agency says it could actually recuperate as much as 6.2 miles an hour. It payments this as a strategy to leapfrog the grid and rely much less on charging infrastructure.
Lightyear 0
Lightyear claims it and contractor Valmet are the primary to “manufacture an electrical automobile that generates energy immediately from daylight.” The Lightyear 0 is not distinctive in utilizing solar energy to cost a battery pack, although.
Actually, the identical facility that simply began constructing the Lightyear 0 can be slated to supply the Sono Sion, which applies the solar-charging idea to a extra standard hatchback form. Valmet beforehand made the Think City, one of many first trendy EVs, in addition to the Fisker Karma, and sure Porsche and Saab fashions.