Aurélien Fleurot, edited by Laura Laplaud 1:39 p.m., May 31, 2022

Will the sun make your car move forward?

Several companies are seriously considering the solar-powered car.

An electric car that gains extra miles just by being parked in the sun.

Among the most successful projects, that of Lightyear, a Dutch company.

Lightyear, a Dutch company, has just presented its prototype solar-powered car for the first time in France.

It's an electric car, a large black sedan parked in a courtyard in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

No charging cable, it seems nothing but it is gaining autonomy: it is the Lightyear One, the solar-powered car for which Philippe Humbrecht is responsible for the projects.

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"What we're trying to do is create a kind of energy independence. A person who parked at their place of work in the parking lot, in the sun, would get their vehicle back at the end of the day with 40 or 50 additional kilometers of autonomy compared to the morning journey", he explains.

Solar energy could therefore be a solution for recharging your electric car less frequently.

More than 700 kilometers of autonomy

This Lightyear One will be made in Finland.

"There are solar panels on the hood, on the roof and on the back. In fact, on the entire upper part of the car. It's made aesthetically, it's made of glass, the surface is black and you have to get really close to see that it's solar panels," said Lex Hoefsloot, president of Lightyear. 

The car is covered with five square meters of solar panels and boasts a range of 725 kilometers (WLTP, or World Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure) when fully charged. 

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"It's also a way to support the project," says Lex Hoefsloot.

However, it remains a car, "we must therefore also convince motorists of its aesthetic appearance", continues the co-founder of the brand.

A total of 250 similar cars, Lightyear One, will be produced.

Then place the Lightyear 2, a much more affordable model, eight times cheaper, thanks to mass production which should start in 2024. 

150 buyers, having paid 150,000 euros for this limited edition, are expecting the Lightyear One by the end of the year.