One hour of sun exposure and 10 kilometers of battery life: Lightyear-1's journey of technological innovation

Author: Duan Yuechu

In the field of new energy vehicles, a solar electric car named Lightyear One has attracted wide attention. This innovative product from the Netherlands not only has a stylish appearance and comfortable interior, but also demonstrates the great potential of solar energy technology in the automotive field with its amazing endurance and energy-saving efficiency.

The biggest highlight of the Lightyear One is the 5 square meters of hyperbolic solar panels covering its roof and hood. These solar panels use advanced conductive backplane foil and carbon fiber materials, which are both efficient and lightweight and can adapt to the curved surface of the car body. Under ideal conditions, these panels can provide the vehicle with an additional 70 kilometers of driving range per day. For those car owners who are worried about the range of electric vehicles, the Lightyear One undoubtedly provides an ideal solution.

In addition to the solar panels, the body design of the Lightyear One is also very distinctive. It adopts an aerodynamic teardrop shape, with a long downward tail at the rear, the wheels are half-covered, and the side mirrors are replaced by cameras. These designs are all to reduce air resistance and improve driving efficiency. The air resistance coefficient of the Lightyear One is only 0.20, which is comparable to some high-end electric vehicles.

In terms of the power system, the Lightyear One uses four independently controlled electric motors, one for each wheel. This electromagnetic hub motor design eliminates the transmission, reduces energy loss, and improves efficiency. Although its total power is 136 horsepower and the acceleration time is less than 10 seconds, considering its positioning as a solar car, such performance is enough to meet daily needs.

In addition, Lightyear One also has a variety of charging methods, including solar charging, home charging, public charging and fast charging. This allows car owners to choose the appropriate charging method according to different needs and occasions, providing continuous power support for the vehicle.

It is worth mentioning that the battery capacity of Lightyear One is 60kWh, which is not large compared with other electric vehicles, but its efficient design makes its energy consumption only 83Wh/km, and it can travel 725 kilometers in the WLTP cycle. Such performance is enough to prove its excellent performance in energy saving.

Of course, as a high-end solar electric car, the price of Lightyear One is not cheap. However, Lightyear has planned to launch more affordable solar electric car models in the future to meet the needs of more consumers.

The emergence of Lightyear One not only brings new possibilities to the field of new energy vehicles, but also shows us the huge potential of solar technology in the automotive field. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous reduction of costs, I believe that more similar solar cars will be launched in the future, bringing more convenience and surprises to our lives.

In general, Lightyear One, with its innovative solar technology and efficient design, has shown us a new way of travel. It is not only an important breakthrough in the field of new energy vehicles, but also a beautiful expectation for our future technological life.

The author Duan Yuechu is a member of the China Science Writers Association.