In response to public demand, Lightyear, a startup that developed an expensive solar car, is planning to release a much cheaper solar electric car for $34,000.
On the WLTP cycle, the Lightyear One can reach 450 miles (725 kilometers) when powered by solar cells.
Like many first vehicles from a manufacturer, the Lightyear One is not cheap. The company recently announced a starting price of €149,000 including VAT ($170,000 USD).
An $110 million funding round was secured earlier this year by the startup to bring the vehicle to market next year.
A deal was announced this week between Lightyear and LeasePlan, a company that offers Car-as-a-Service, to “reserve 5,000 cars of the Lightyear’s second model, scheduled to enter production by 2024/2025.”
There are few details available about this upcoming Lightyear vehicle, but Lightyear confirmed it will be launched in Europe and North America, and it should start around €30,000 (equivalent to $33,779).
The goal of Lightyear Two is to take the knowledge acquired while building the highly expensive and low-volume production Lightyear One and translate it into a more affordable and high-volume production solar car.
While Lightyear has not elaborated on its form factor, it is clear they are focusing on aerodynamic and efficient designs with embedded solar cells to expand the range even further.
