Remember the Dutch start-up Lightyear and its first product Lightyear One we read about over 4 years ago? Well, the company has made some progress, quite a lot of progress in fact, so much so that it is confident to commence deliveries in summer 2022 (as per the official website). The product looks pretty stylish too and therefore carries a purchase price of €150,000 (excluding taxes) for the Exclusive Pioneer Edition—limited to 946 units. Another way of reserving a Lightyear One is by becoming a shareholder of the company. But anyway, initially, Lightyear plans to deliver only in the EU region, Norway, and Switzerland.
I think the styling team has done a pretty good job in making the car look as normal as possible; “normal” I mean making it look “ready for sale” and not look like an experimental prototype that’s gonna take another 5 years. The fastback rear-end gives me Audi vibes, but maybe that’s just me. Overall, it’s a clean styling with one and only one goal in mind: aerodynamic efficiency, but you gotta appreciate that it also looks fairly stylish. Lightyear claims the One to be the most aerodynamic 5-seater to date with a drag coefficient figure of less than 0.20 Cd.
Materials used for construction include aluminium and carbon fibre, but Lightyear isn’t yet ready to share the weight figure. But you’ll be happy to know that it has got four in-wheel electric motors and therefore boasts a 97% efficient drivetrain; there are no transmissions here, not even a single-speed gearbox. The motors develop an undisclosed amount of combined power and a combined peak torque of 1,920 Nm (1,416 lb-ft). Lightyear claims a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of less than 10 seconds.
But as you know, the Lightyear One isn’t about any of that; it’s all about efficiency. The company claims a WLTP range of 725 km (450 mi) on a single charge, with an energy use rating of 83 Wh/km (without HVAC). Its 5 square metres of solar panels are claimed to offer a range of up to 70 km (43.5 mi). We don’t know the battery pack capacity yet, but it can be DC fast-charged with up to 60 kW.
Inside, the styling is just as clean and minimal as the exterior. Space appears to be generous, at least for four fully grown adults, although Lightyear claims the rear seat can accommodate three adults. That centre console claims a capacity of 12 litres. As with most electrified vehicles these days, you might find sustainably-sourced/eco-friendly materials inside. Standard features include Apple CarPlay & Android Auto connectivity, wireless smartphone charging, and 780 litres of luggage space.
Last but not the least, Lightyear One is a fairly large solar-BEV measuring 5,057 mm long, 1,898 mm wide and 1,426 mm tall. Last year, the company received nearly €100 million in funding with investors including Dela (a Dutch insurance company), private investor Joop van Caldenborgh, SHV (a Dutch trading company), and Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland. The company has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
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