New Solar Panel Equipped Car Can Go Weeks Between Charges

Lightyear 0

Thirty years ago, the idea of not needing to fill up a vehicle at a gas station seemed like something out of a SciFi movie. Then Tesla and other companies revolutionized the automotive industry with electric vehicles. Still, electric cars need to be plugged in, often for hours at a time. But now, Dutch automotive company Lightyear is working on a car that may make daily charging a thing of the past.

Lightyear is working on a car simply dubbed “The 0” (zero) that is equipped with solar panels on the sloping roof and hood. This puts the panels in great position to soak up the sun. So as you drive your car and park it outside, the 0 can collect solar power to charge the batteries.

Lightyear 0 Interior

Many electric cars offer great performance, especially off the line. The Tesla Model S, for example, is a large, heavy sedan that can hit 60 in about 5 seconds and is capable of keeping up with some sports cars. Get the Model S Plaid, and you can hit sixty in under 3 seconds, meaning you can keep pace with, if not beat, many Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Corvette models.

The Lightyear 0, however, needs over 10 seconds to hit sixty and tops out at under 100 miles per hour. Instead of focusing on performance, Lightyear has been designing an energy-sipping car. And in good conditions, the equipped solar panels can provide roughly 48 miles of charge per day, no plugging in needed. For many folks, that’s enough to get to work and back.

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