Lightyear solar-powered EV enters manufacturing

The Lightyear 0, a glossy electrical automotive mentioned to have the ability to cowl each day commuting utilizing solely photo voltaic power to cost its batteries, has entered manufacturing in Finland.

The Netherlands-based firm is working with Finnish automobile producer Valmet Automotive, which is contracted to provide the automobile.

The pitch behind the Lightyear 0 is a automobile that depends much less on the grid for charging, which focuses on decreasing weight and shrinking the onboard batteries.

“Electrical automobiles are a step in the fitting course, however they’ve a scaling drawback. By 2030, we are able to count on 84 million electrical automobiles on roads in Europe alone,” says firm co-founder and CEO Lex Hoefsloot.

“There’s no hiding from it, entry to charging stations won’t sustain with the demand for electrical automobiles. To minimise plug-charging and maximise vary, the trade’s technique, thus far, has been so as to add batteries. That will increase the carbon footprint of manufacturing and, in flip, boosts weight and the necessity for high-power charging stations.

“Our technique flips that method. Lightyear 0 delivers extra vary with much less battery, decreasing weight and CO2 emissions per automobile.”

The Lightyear 0 claims an extended 625km battery vary regardless of a smallish 61kWh pack – the identical as a long-range Nissan Leaf. It manages this resulting from its gentle weight for an EV (1575kg) and aerodynamic form (underneath 0.175Cd) enabling power use of simply 10.5kWh per 100km.

Nonetheless, the claimed real-world vary is effectively above this resulting from its 1.05kWh photo voltaic roof capturing as much as 70km of further vary each day in sunny climes, or extra like 35km in Europe the place circumstances are sometimes cloudier.

“In cloudy climates, primarily based on the typical commute of round 35 kilometres per day, you’ll be able to drive for as much as two months earlier than you have to take into consideration charging. In sunnier nations, that might be as much as seven months,” the corporate claims.

MORE: Lightyear 0 long-range photo voltaic electrical manufacturing automotive revealed

Lightyear 0 manufacturing

The Valmet manufacturing course of begins with a unadorned physique equipped from the UK, earlier than the principle cable harness and the ground carpets are put in. The automobile is then moved to the following part of the meeting line, the place insulation, cables and pipes are put in.

Subsequent a specialised robotic is used to use the glue beads on the all-important photo voltaic panels. Manipulators then semi-manually place the glass and photo voltaic panels on the physique in white.

Throughout this time, the entrance and rear subassemblies – containing the subframe, suspension, in-wheel motors and different mechanical and electrical components – are pre-assembled. In different pre-assembly cells, the dashboard, centre console, doorways and tailgate are additionally assembled.

The wedding level is the following step within the course of. Right here, the subassemblies are united with the physique in white. Then the 350kg battery is put in.

After this, it’s time to put in the pre-assembled dashboard, heart console, seats, and at last the doorways and tailgate. As the ultimate step, low-rolling-resistance Bridgestone tyres are placed on.

MORE: Lightyear 0 long-range photo voltaic electrical manufacturing automotive revealed
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