After Launching The First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Manufacturer Declares Bankruptcy

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 02/02/2023 at 18:51

Foto: Lightyear 0/Divulgação

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Several Months After Launching Its First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Company Announces Bankruptcy. The First Electric Car Powered by Solar Energy Delivers Great Performance and Costs R$ 1.2 Million.

Although it seems like a good idea, installing solar energy panels on a vehicle and making a solar-powered car is somewhat complex, considering that, in reality, this is not very feasible due to factors such as the efficiency of solar panels, the cost of the technology, and also the car’s viability in less sunny locations. Thus, brands ranging from Toyota to Lightyear have been investing in this idea, but recently Lightyear has just declared bankruptcy.

Solar-Powered Car by Lightyear Costs R$ 1.2 Million

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxUM16tskXk

The Dutch automaker announced on its official website the bankruptcy request of its subsidiary Atlas Technologies, which is basically responsible for producing its only car, called Lightyear 0, launched a few months ago.

According to the company in a statement, Lightyear regrets having to make this announcement to all employees, investors, customers, and suppliers. A total of 600 employees were impacted, not counting those at the factory producing the solar-powered car in Finland.

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Solar-Powered Car Has 170 Horsepower

Other complicated promises included the ability to add 300 km of range just by plugging the car into a household outlet. The Lightyear 0 features all-wheel drive, totaling 170 horsepower and an incredible torque of 175.4 kgfm.

Other high-performance components of the electric car include an extremely aerodynamic body with carbon fiber panels and a heat pump, about three times more efficient than a conventional heater.

Among the next steps of the bankruptcy request, care must be taken with the dismissal of employees and deciding the future of the patents developed for the electric car. Even so, those responsible for this project believe that the Lightyear 2, which so far is just a small project, may survive and come to fruition in the near future. The challenge in this case is even greater, considering that the model was priced to be a more affordable option, with a price under US$ 50,000.

Toyota Launches Electric Car That Uses Solar Energy Panels

In November of last year, Toyota unveiled the fifth generation of its hybrid car Prius. This new version of the model features a new exterior look and new interior features. With nearly 30 years in the market, the Toyota Prius has become a benchmark in the hybrid car market.

The new model features an innovative system, with a solar energy panel that promises to extend the range by up to 1,250 km annually.

The Japanese automaker emphasizes that the model’s system uses solar radiation captured by a solar panel mounted on the roof to convert it into electricity for the batteries while the model is parked.

After Launching The First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Manufacturer Declares Bankruptcy

Several Months After Launching Its First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Company Announces Bankruptcy. The First Electric Car Powered by Solar Energy Delivers Great Performance and Costs R$ 1.2 Million.

Solar-Powered Car by Lightyear Costs R$ 1.2 Million

Solar-Powered Car Has 170 Horsepower

Toyota Launches Electric Car That Uses Solar Energy Panels

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After Launching The First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Manufacturer Declares Bankruptcy

Several Months After Launching Its First Solar-Powered Car, Dutch Company Announces Bankruptcy. The First Electric Car Powered by Solar Energy Delivers Great Performance and Costs R$ 1.2 Million.

Solar-Powered Car by Lightyear Costs R$ 1.2 Million

Solar-Powered Car Has 170 Horsepower

Toyota Launches Electric Car That Uses Solar Energy Panels

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Toyota launches “family hybrid van” with 7 or 8 seats, 1.8 hybrid engine, fuel consumption of up to 23.8 km/l, and a price equivalent to about R$ 104,000 without taxes, below the Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid sold in Brazil: meet the Noah Hybrid 2026 in Japan.

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