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Even with the expected arrival next year, deliveries of the first solar-powered electric cars must be at least two years behind the original schedule.
The Dutch startup behind the world's first solar-powered, fully off-grid electric car has generated significant investment this year. Deliveries of the Lightyear One prototype are set to arrive in the automotive industry next summer.
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U$ 100 million in investments for the arrival of the first electric car powered by solar energy in the automotive industry
Dutch insurance company DELA Cooperation and art collector Joop van Caldenborgh have ensured that the Dutch startup responsible for the solar-powered electric car Lightyear One has raised more than $110 million in investment this year.
To book a Lightyear One, interested customers will have to pay a fee of €150.000, described as "down payment" on the company's website, suggesting the final purchase price will be even higher. The startup had planned to deliver its prototype to customers last year, however, manufacturing has been delayed and deliveries are set to start next summer.
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Lightyear also successfully generated investments, offering shareholders the opportunity to reserve one of the vehicles, which features a solar panel roof and state-of-the-art systems.
A revolution in the automotive industry
Lightyear's CEO claims that his solar-powered electric car has a key differentiator when compared to other electric vehicles on the market today.
“I think it is fundamental for the energy transition that we are not limited by what large companies are able to install over the years on the roads, but that it is also a people's revolution. We got rid of all the infrastructure and moved away from other government plans. We can embrace solar energy alone and invent our own electric model”, highlights the CEO.
Manufacturer claims that electric car powered by solar energy consumes 3x less than any other electric vehicle on the market
On the Lightyear manufacturer’s website where it states that the prototype “will consume just 83 Wh/km – two to three times less energy than any other electric vehicle on the market” and adds that the company intends to manufacture 946 cars, to be delivered in the European Union , in Norway and Switzerland.
Lightyear One's 5m² roof consists of a double-curved, glass-covered solar panel with full power point trackers. Lightyear is also planning to mass-produce a second solar electric vehicle and has said it intends to go "into production with this new mass-market model in 2024", for which it is seeking more investors.
“Thanks to the trust and funding received from our investors, we are able to grow even further as a company and bring our unique Lightyear One model [to] the market in 2022,” said Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and co-founder of the Lightyear company.
