LIGHTYEAR ONE
components in the car to make more room
for the passengers, then lower the height of
the roof and this improves aerodynamics.
There are a lot of these types of interactions.”
Hoefsloot is at pains to explain how the
Lightyear One is a sum of its parts, not merely
a car which is powered by solar energy. In the
same way the roof is low and the shape is
aerodynamically slippery, the solar panels are
only part of the low-e ciency formula.
Constructed from lightweight aluminum
and carbon fi ber is has a long, sloping rear
overhang, designed to lower drag and increase
e ciency. “If you have the opportunity to
redesign everything from scratch, put the
people at exactly the right position in the car,
manage aerodynamics, then you can really
make a big diff erence.”
While the Lightyear One might win the
range stakes, its 0-100km (0-62mph) time of
eight seconds time is noticeably slower than
rival EVs – but for good reason Hoefsloot
explains. “A lot of other EV makers really
focus on performance being able to reach
100km/h 62mph in three seconds or less. Of
course, that’s impressive, but I’ve spoken to
a lot of Tesla owners who say they rarely want
to do this. Plus, this performance adds a lot
of batteries and weight.”
Another fault of today’s EVs, the Lightyear
boss says, is their large size. Hoefsloot believes
it makes no sense to build an electric SUV, as
the height and bulk reduce e ciency. “It’s a
marketing product. SUVs with an electric drive
is a very di cult combination.”
Panel show
After carefully explaining what the established
competition are doing wrong, Hoefsloot comes
to his car’s headline feature: its 53ft (5m) of
solar panels that cover the entire upper surface
of the One, including the hood, roof,
hatchback, and where a rear
window would
LOUNGES ON WHEELS
Looking to the future of the motorcar,
Hoefsloot sees a world where electric,
autonomous cars disrupt the short-haul
aviation industry, taking passengers
in quiet comfort across long distances
and with minimal effort. But, as ever,
he has his eye on efficiency. “How I see
the industry in 10 to 15 years is having
super-convenient, low-cost living
rooms driving everywhere. We will
even be able to disrupt the short-haul
flight air industry, I think.”
As for Lightyear’s role in this future,
the One will have “limited autonomy”,
but using self-driving systems
developed by other companies.
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com // July 2019 // 85
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