What started five years ago as a group of dreamers became a team of 300 people working towards the same goal.
Ever since the inception of Lightyear, motivation and hard work was always at the centre of it. The World Solar Challenge, in Australia, was the first test for our solar technology. When some of our founders participated, the first car of the Solar Team Eindhoven, Stella, was put on the road, and she took the task head-on, coming first in the 2013 edition of the Challenge. The team had a feeling then that they were on the brink of something big, but nothing happens without blood, sweat, and tears.
And they never stopped: they returned three more times, each time with a better and stronger car, and our efforts paid off. With Stella’s successors, Stella Lux, Stella Vie, and Stella Era, the Solar Team Eindhoven won consecutive champion titles in ‘15, ‘17, and ‘19.
They knew then that solar technology is something society can rely on. It isn’t only convenient, but it is clean. And, seeing how the sun belongs to all of us, they knew that their mission moving forward was to “bring clean mobility to everyone, everywhere.”
Our five founders teamed up and Lightyear saw the first light of day in 2016, as world champions, backed by industry veterans. Our vision was clear and the plan was set into motion.
It wasn't always easy, but the mission kept us going. Lightyear One took shape, with all our efforts and the help of our Italian design partner, Lowie Vermeersch’s Granstudio. The first Lightyear One prototype was unveiled in front of a live audience three years later, in 2019.
It was a memorable day for all of us. We unveiled the car at the break of dawn, and it was a genuine celebration of our hard work. TIME magazine recognised our efforts and put Lightyear One as one of the top 100 inventions of that year.
“Doing everything at the same time, to make the impossible possible.” —Maijke Receveur, CPPO
The prototype unveiling of Lightyear One in 2019
And so we reached 2021, a year full of milestones for us. From the Validation Prototype debut and successful testing, to partnerships that took us even closer to bringing Lightyear One on the road, we are gearing up towards delivering the first cars to our customers mid 2022. for a bright, solar future.
“Next year, when we have the first cars on the road, people will start to realise that this is not a dream. This is reality!” —Lex Hoefsloot, CEO
Looking back at everything we achieved, we can’t let this 5-year landmark pass without thanking everybody who joined our mission and who continue supporting us. Based on the exciting journey we had so far, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
