Startups and major carmakers are starting to install solar panels on their electric vehicles, an addition that greatly expands the range of cars, even if perpetual motion may be a dream.
As it rolls under the scorching sun of northern Spain, the Lightyear 0 generates enough electricity everyday to drive 70 km thanks to 5 square meters of solar panels integrated into the hood and roof.
The company was founded by young Dutch engineers who earned their living driving solar cars to race in the Australian desert.
Thanks to the drop in the price of solar panels, Lightyear is trying to incorporate them into road cars.
With its sleek, aerodynamic line and motors integrated into the wheels, the Lightyear 0 consumes less energy than an electric SUV.
With the battery offering 625km per charge, the company says that some customers who only drive short distances each day may only need to charge during the winter.
“The clock is ticking, we need sustainable cars as soon as possible,” Lex Hofslut, one of the founders, told AFP.
“Charging points are still a big hurdle. If we don’t need them, we can make electric cars a lot faster,” he said.
Lightyear targeted the top-end of the market with the Lightyear 0, with 1,000 or more cars setting buyers back 250,000 euros (roughly Rs.
The company expects to launch a mass-market model with a price tag of EUR 30,000 (approximately Rs 24,88,750) in 2024 – 2025.
As sales of electric vehicles pick up, several models with solar panels are expected to hit dealerships in the coming months.
Toyota Now the Prius is proposing solar panels as an option on the hybrid, as well as its first 100 percent electric vehicle, the BZ4X.
Tesla It also plans to offer solar panels as an option on its pickups, due to hit the road next year.
mercedes Equipped your luxurious EQXX with rooftop solar panels. Like the Lightyear, the sleek sedan has a range of 1,000 km.
The cost of adding solar panels to cars has now dropped to several hundred dollars, a small amount compared to the total cost of most models.
“Solar is so cheap now that even places with imperfect sunlight are worth solar installation,” said Gregory Nemet, a solar energy expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“The value of putting solar on cars is that it can expand the range of the car,” he said.
While it may not be able to fully charge the battery in a day, “it can provide enough energy to go home”.
Or solar panels could help provide enough electricity to run air conditioning in vehicles, said Gautam Ram Chandra Mouli, an expert in electric mobility at the University of Delft in the Netherlands.
Drivers will probably want to run the air conditioning as they have to park in the sun to get a good charge.
This can cause problems for some city drivers with parking spaces in the garage.
Weather is also an important factor. Drivers in northern Europe will charge much less from integrated solar panels in winter than in summer.
California startup Aptera, which has 25,000 orders, has designed its futuristic three-wheeler to be highly efficient to get the most out of solar power.
Two-seater vehicles, which should start delivering to buyers this year, can get more than 60 km of travel from their solar panels.
Depending on the model, which costs from $26,000 (approximately Rs 20,50,685) to $46,000 (approximately Rs 36,28,135), the cars can travel between 400 km to 1,600 km on a full battery charge.
German firm Sono Motors has taken a more classic approach with its compact-minivan Sion.
A boxy, black five-seater that screams family car, the Cyan is completely covered with solar panels.
“We have developed a technology that allows all cars to be covered with solar panels”, said Jonah Christian, co-founder of Sono Motors.
The first Sion should be delivered next year and the current pre-order price is EUR 28,500 (approximately Rs 23,64,478).
The firm already has 18,000 such pre-orders and expects to be able to manufacture over a quarter million vehicles in this decade.
The Sion is also being designed to offer various functionalities from its battery, including powering other devices and charging other vehicles. It can also deliver electricity back to the grid.
Dutch firm Squad Mobility is targeting a different market – what it calls sub (urban) mobility.
The Squad Solar City Car may be similar to an enclosed golf cart, but a two- or four-seat vehicle can turn around fairly quickly and has enough room to facilitate many urban chores.
With solar panels on the roof, the car could generate enough power to travel 20 km per day in Europe.
The company says such microcars travel around 12km per day on average, which means most users won’t need to charge it daily.
“Solar panels will get more affordable, drivetrains will get better,” said Squad Mobility chief Robert Howers.
“Sooner or later you’ll be driving on solar every day.”