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Lightyear Closes Partnership with Tire Manufacturer Bridgestone and Launches Its Solar-Powered Electric Car This Year. The Tires Were Made Exclusively for the Car to Achieve an Incredible Range of 725km
The tire manufacturer Bridgestone announced a partnership with Lightyear, a vehicle company from the Netherlands, for the exclusive development of tires for the Lightyear One, the first long-range solar-powered electric car. The car has a range of 725 km and is scheduled to launch in late 2021 in the European market.
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On the outside, the Lightyear One is fully focused on aerodynamics. Its body features futuristic lines, with solar energy panels extending from the hood to the rear. Inside, the electric car boasts minimalist lines, finished in fabrics and woods. It also features a digital instrument panel and a multimedia center supporting functions like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
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To achieve such a great range, the vehicle has four electric motors, one in each wheel, and advanced torque vectoring. The company has not revealed many details about the electric car but confirmed that the electric motors allow the model to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 10 seconds.
The 60 kWh battery can be recharged via a charger or through solar energy. As mentioned earlier, the manufacturer promises a range of 725 km and, in terms of energy, an efficiency three times greater than currently available electric cars.
Tires of the Lightyear One Promise to Improve Its Range
To achieve this feat in range, even the tires of the electric car are specially made. The Turanza Eco tires, designed by Bridgestone, offer low rolling resistance and are lighter in weight, ensuring battery life is preserved and the vehicle achieves greater efficiency. To reduce tire weight, technologies such as Enliten and Ologic were utilized.
According to the manufacturer, the set of tires reduces nearly 100 kg from the electric car without compromising tire durability. To develop the tires for the electric car, the company used Virtual Tire Development technology, which allows for a more accurate modeling of tire performance without the need for physical testing.
Bridgestone Technical Director Speaks Out
According to Emilio Tiberio, technical director and operations head at Bridgestone, Lightyear has been impressive with its electric car ever since he saw it compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (an event that includes a 3,000 km race in the Australian desert).
Thus, Bridgestone is committing to a reduction of approximately 50% in CO2 emissions by the year 2030. He states that strategic partnerships like this one with the company that developed the solar-powered electric car are essential to achieving these goals.
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