Lightyear 0: Know specs, features, price of world's first solar car that charges while you drive it

The first solar-powered electric car to enter production is called Lightyear 0. The electric start-up has given Finland's Valmet Automotive the ownership for production. Almost all of the world's major automakers have used their vehicles in production. Valmet wants to provide full battery and vehicle manufacturing solutions to start-ups like Lightyear with the help of CATL as a partner.

Lighteryear 0: Specifications and features

Efficiency has been taken into consideration when designing the solar car. The body of the 0 has been made extremely slick with a drag coefficient of less than 0.175 in order to accomplish that. This is the lowest ever for a production car. As there is less resistance to the vehicle's motion, this helps to maximise range.

Additionally, solar panels have been installed on its body panels, including the roof and bonnet. Those naturally recharge the battery every day if the sun is out. You won't need to charge it if you drive 50 km per day for months. Four separate in-wheel motors and a 60 kWh battery are included with Lightyear 0. This enables an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just over ten seconds.

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In favour of performance, the top speed is supported to 160 km/h, and the WLTP-certified range is 625 km. The thermal integration enables reusing the leftover heat to keep the vital components at the ideal temperature. The light chassis and body contribute to this. Also included is a battery pack with a high energy density.

Lighteryear 0: Price 

The Lightyear 0 costs $262,000 to purchase (approx Rs 2.16 Crore). This elevates it to the status of a luxury item, but its convenience seems to be warranted. For those who reside  in a sunny area, they could potentially save a lot of money because the battery will be sufficiently charged for moderate daily use. I

n a few years, Lightyear will release a smaller EV with the name 2, catering to those seeking for a more affordable alternative of the solar vehicle. Only 946 units of the 0 will be available for purchase.

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