FAQ

We are Lightyear. Car manufacturers, a mindset and a movement. Our mission is simple: to make clean mobility accessible to everyone, everywhere. We’ll measure that mission in kilometres, (9,460,000,000,000 to be exact) which is the equivalent to one light-year in clean solar kilometres by 2035. To achieve that goal, we designed the world’s first solar electric car, Lightyear 0. The car that brings our carefully developed technologies together, and ultimately proves the feasibility and potential of driving on the power of the sun.

Lightyear was founded in November 2016 and currently employs around 100 people. Lightyear develops electric cars with an energy-efficient design and integrated solar cells. TIME Magazine acknowledged the Lightyear 0 concept as one of the ‘100 best inventions’ of 2019.

The address of Lightyear's corporate headquarters is:

Automotive Campus 70, 5708 JZ Helmond, Netherlands

The journey of Lightyear started in 2012, when Lex Hoefsloot and Roy Cobbenhagen started Solar Team Eindhoven, but the history of Lightyear lies in the World Solar Challenge. In 2013, a team that included four of the five founding members from the Eindhoven University of Technology competed and became world champions in cruiser class by building a 5-seater solar car that was able to drive between 1000 - 1500 km on a single battery charge.

Around that time the first EVs came into the streets, having a range of 100—250 km. During the race they noticed that the vehicles that ran on gasoline had to make regular stops for refuelling, whereas the solar car could just continue driving.

The experience and technology achievement from this race made the founders of Lightyear realise that there is great potential for solar cars in the commercial market, breaking some of the barriers for EV adoption (range, charging, and, in the end, costs). This same team, with an additional new fifth founder, managed to become world champions 4 times in a row.

After that, they realised they had built up unique knowledge, and were able to demonstrate that the concept of a high efficiency solar car could actually work for commercial markets, solving a major issue on range and charging.

It’s important to remember that we are bringing something entirely new to the market – Our solar car is the first of its kind. When innovating technology of this distinction, the path is not linear and, if you want to do it right, it is not short. To deliver a safe, road-legal solar car, we must ensure we get it right. We do not make compromises when it comes to our technologies and products.

Fortunately, we have strong backing from investors and strategic partners who share in our mission. With Lightyear 0, we have shown the world that ultra-efficient solar cars make a lot of sense, and that they are a key to the global scalability of clean electric mobility. A proof of concept which lays a solid foundation for our high volume model, Lightyear 2, scheduled to hit the markets in 2026.

Our technology is designed with efficiency in mind. The more efficient the car, the lower its impact on the environment and the driver’s experience. We take this efficiency to the next level within every design choice we make, and therefore we can build a car that requires 80% less charging and has twice the range on the same battery pack. The biggest challenge in this principle is honing in on every design element to maximise efficiency while still ensuring the car meets all of our other design standards. 

Our next crucial milestone will be revealing the technical prototype of Lightyear 2. After we have successfully demonstrated our technology with Lightyear 0, we shifted our focus to the introduction of our mass-market model, Lightyear 2.

Lightyear 2 will be built with families in mind, in high volume, and available in many more markets around the world, including the EU, US, UK, and eventually Asia. With an accessible price point (starting at <€40.000) and cost of ownership to rival a mid-sized fossil fuel based car, it will truly bring clean mobility to the masses.

Our goal is to bring our Lightyear 2 model to the Netherlands in 2025, and in the EU/UK/US from 2026 onwards.

We currently do not offer test drives. We will let you know when we have more detailed information available.

We’re looking forward to the day when we can share the Lightyear experience with more of you!

It’s great to hear you’d like to join the team! You can find all of our current employment opportunities on our website, here.

Yes, it does! You can apply for an internship via the following link. This will also show you which internships we are currently looking for.

We receive many requests from students, and unfortunately we are unable to answer all of them. However, you can find a lot of information about Lightyear and our vehicles here on our FAQ page, and on our website, here.

We also have photos and press releases for downloading and you might also want to check out our YouTube channel for videos, here.

Right now! You can currently sign up for our waitlist, here.

You'll get first and exclusive updates as we soar towards a brighter chapter for the automotive world.

We stand by our company’s mission to make clean mobility accessible to everyone, everywhere. Like all companies reliant on external supply chains,  Lightyear is not impervious to the fluctuations in inflation and rising costs of raw materials. There is a possibility that this could impact the launch price of Lightyear 2, but we stand by our promise that this model will have a more accessible price point than competing vehicles.

Lightyear 0 is an SEV - a Solar Electric Vehicle, featuring five square metres of patented, double-curved solar arrays, allowing the vehicle to charge itself while commuting or simply parked. Lightyear 0 transforms traditional mobility. By going back to the drawing board, we’ve developed a revolutionary car that can be charged by the sun, as well as regular household plugs. Less suddenly becomes more. More time, energy and freedom to travel without range anxiety and charging infrastructure dependence.

With Lightyear 0, we have shown the world that ultra-efficient solar cars make a lot of sense, and that they are a key to enable the global scalability of clean electric mobility. If we want to make a difference, we need solutions that work globally, not just in the Western world. Current EV's are not scalable because charging infrastructure is often lacking or overloaded.

Lightyear 0 is a proof of concept which lays a solid foundation for our high volume model, Lightyear 2, scheduled to hit the markets in 2026. Although Lightyear 0 went into production late 2022, the program was discontinued shortly after due to a strategic shift in focus towards Lightyear 2.

We’re just as keen to get you behind the wheel of your very own solar electric car! Here’s our plan to make that happen: Lightyear 0 is our concept car, and it paves the way for Lightyear 2, an affordable, mass-market model. Lightyear 2 is scheduled to hit the markets in 2026.

Lightyear 0 is a concept car, and not for sale anymore. Although Lightyear 0 went into production late 2022, the program was discontinued shortly after due to a strategic shift in focus towards Lightyear 2.

Lightyear 2 will enter the market in 2026 with a price point starting at <€40,000. Join our Lightyear 2 waitlist today and be among the first to drive solar electric.

Lightyear 0 has 782 IBC monocrystalline silicon solar cells.

A solar electric vehicle, or SEV, is just like an electric car, but with one critical difference. An SEV has an outer layer of integrated solar cells, and with them, can charge itself from the power of the sun. In other words, it doesn’t rely on plug-charging alone and can drive for weeks - even months - without needing to be charged.

With a fully charged battery, Lightyear 0 has a range of 625 km — Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) drive cycle. If you drive 110 km/h continuously, you are able to drive for 560 km.

Please note that this is the battery range, without additional range yielded by the solar cells. Depending upon your location, you can gain up to 70 kilometres of range per day from the sun alone, or between 6,000 to 11,000 kilometres of free, effortless, and clean range every year. Driving range is dependent on habits, location and season.

Individual driving behaviour can also have an influence on range.

Depending upon your location, you can gain up to 70 kilometres of range per day from the sun alone, or between 6,000 to 11,000 kilometres of free, effortless, and clean range every year. Driving range is dependent on habits, location and season.

This depends on the power of the charging station you will use. If you use a fast charger of 50 kW, you will charge 520 km/h. With an average charger of 22kW, you will charge 200 km/h. And with a regular home socket of 3.7 kW, you will charge 32 km/h.

On a sunny day Lightyear 0 charges itself with up to 1.05 kW - that's 10 solar kilometres in one hour. It means you can get 50-70 km* of range per day using only solar charging.

*70km is the maximum achievable solar yield for 10% of a year in Spain. Driving range is dependent on habits, location and season.

Lightyear 0 has peak torque power of up to 1,720 Nm and peak power of ~130kW, which is equal to ~170 bhp. It reaches 100 km/h in 10 seconds.

Because a BEV has no Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and therefore no tailpipe, a BEV does not emit any CO2 or other gases.

Cargo space with seats up is about 474 litres. With seats flat, it is about 1076 litres.

Four traction inverters and direct drive-in-wheel motors eliminate the need for energy draining components, such as a gearbox and driveshafts, as used in standard EVs. Our drivetrain is not only in pole position for the highest efficiency on the market, it also reduces the number of rotating components for much lower maintenance.

The solar cells are integrated into the front, roof, and tailgate of the car. These three solar panels are assembled onto the car and cannot be taken off manually. Safety is one of the most important factors of Lightyear 0 and Lightyear in general. We did several tests with the solar panels, such as drop-ball tests to ensure the safety of the car and the roof of glass. If the solar panel breaks, the user of the car can replace the roof through one of our service and maintenance centers.

Lightyear’s technology remains proprietary and we aim to demonstrate the feasibility and impact of it with Lightyear 0. Recently we have partnered with Koenigsegg, sharing knowledge and resources, to bring automotive technologies to new levels. You can read more about that here.

Currently, we have no plans to make the technology available for a broader list of manufacturers. 

Our latest wind tunnel aerodynamic testing indicated a WLTP coefficient drag (Cd) value of 0.175, the most aerodynamic car in history. A low drag coefficient means less energy consumption, and therefore more range.

In Lightyear's environmental sustainability approach, we strongly focus on minimising CO2 emissions, both during the use of the car (highly energy-efficient with onboard solar) as well as in the design and manufacturing process. Developing and designing cars with a view to reusing parts and materials is another important environmental focus.

Sustainable design is stitched into every seam of Lightyear 0. The car’s high-quality interior is crafted from plant-based leather, recycled PET bottle fabrics, and sustainably restructured rattan palm, breathing new life into a conscious collection of all-natural materials.

In Lightyear's environmental sustainability approach, we strongly focus on minimising CO2 emissions, both during the use of the car (highly energy-efficient with onboard solar) as well as in the design and manufacturing process. Developing and designing cars with a view to reusing parts and materials is another important environmental focus.

You will start saving CO2 emissions after 20,000—40,000 km of driving, which equals approximately one year of driving for our customers, including production and recycling. The main advantages of the Lightyear 0 is that it has very low energy consumption and a relatively small battery. This radically reduces its footprint. Every product has an environmental impact in each phase of its life cycle (make, use, end of life). In Lightyear, we use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to determine the environmental impact of the materials and assembly of the car to find an adequate balance. By applying Circular Economy principles in the design of our car, this guides us to optimise the car for a long life time, limited maintenance and repair including the development of opportunities for refurbishment, reuse of parts and recycling of materials during the lifetime of the car.