Dutch Passenger Car on Solar Energy Can Drive up to 800 Kilometers on a Full Battery

29 Mar by Iggy Gwenevere

Dutch Passenger Car on Solar Energy Can Drive up to 800 Kilometers on a Full Battery

Many homes are now realizing the need for solar energy to power up their homes, thanks to photovoltaic systems being offered by Solaranlage (). These days even cars can now be powered by Solar energy. Read further.

When the sun comes up, it arrives for the first time: the Lightyear One. A Dutch passenger car that can be charged with sunlight. And that could revolutionize how we drive.

The car was officially presented to the public with high hopes that the car hits the road soon. According to the makers, the technology of the car is a breakthrough for electric driving. Where we are still dependent on charging stations, this is much less the case with the Lightyear One.

Thanks to the World Solar Challenge

It all started for the car 4 years ago. Martijn Lammers, now head of the strategy at Lightyear, was one of the five students who decided to build the first commercial solar car. “We brainstormed on a Thursday evening: what does the car industry look like now? And where are the opportunities? And how can we create the most impact with our luggage?”

This ‘luggage’ was mainly collected during the World Solar Challenge in Australia, a biennial race for solar-powered cars. The students of the Eindhoven University of Technology became world champions there for the first time in 2015. That tasted like more. They decided to use the technology in a passenger car. “We have become very good at making efficient electric cars. And efficient means that such a car does not depend on charging infrastructure.”

Read also: The Basic Guide to Car Maintenance Issues & Solutions

How the car works

And that now produces the first result: a car whose roof and hood are covered with 5 square meters of solar cells. The sunlight that is captured in this way is converted into electrical energy.

The wheels of the car are driven separately from each other via four motors. As a result, no driveshaft is needed, which saves weight and air resistance and provides more space in the car.

Self-sufficient

The biggest plus: the car is completely self-sufficient. No fuel is needed and the car is not dependent on charging stations. “You can also simply charge it in the socket. The car has a fairly small battery and can drive a long way on it.” Sunlight also charges the car battery while driving.

Lightyear hopes that their cars will have covered a light-year before 2035, purely on solar energy. Every year, all cars in the world also travel a light year, but then on fossil fuels.

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