Is there a Future for Solar Panel Cars?
The world’s first solar panel car goes on sale on June 9th. The Dutch Lightyear One promises a clean, efficient drive that will rival current electric vehicles. The question is, can it fulfil its promises? Given the plethora of electric and hybrid options on the market, are solar panel cars even needed and who is likely to buy or lease them?
The race for a cleaner future
The damage combustion engines do to the environment is well documented. As well as burning fossil fuels, they create air and noise pollution. Electric and hybrid vehicles have come out on top in the race to replace petrol and diesel, with many other alternatives falling by the wayside.
But electric vehicles are not without their issues. Power stations are still required to produce the electricity needed to power the batteries. The batteries themselves require elements that are limited resources, and mining them risks causing environmental issues. The manufacture of electric vehicles creates a larger carbon footprint than manufacturing vehicles with combustion engines.
However, once on the road, fully electric cars quickly begin to repay this carbon footprint, and the energy used to power them is increasingly coming from green sources.
The charging network and lack of accessible fast charging close to people’s homes remains an issue in many areas and is one of the main reasons drivers are reluctant to swap. However, charge point operators are addressing this, and government support is in place for people who want to install at home charging points.
Given there are solutions to many of the issues, is there room for another form of non-combustion engine out there? The answer is yes, primarily because while the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries is extending as technology improves, they are not infinite, and neither is the supply of lithium.
Is solar power the answer?
The idea of a car driving along the road with solar panels stuck to the roof may create strange visuals in your imagination, but one look at the Lightyear One soon dismisses these images. Visually, the Lightyear One is the promised car of the future. It is sleek, light and incredibly aerodynamic. GranStudio, Italy, are responsible for the attractive design, which gives it an aerodynamic drag coefficient under 0.20. The Lightyear One is an all-wheel-drive car with electric motors sitting in the hubs of the wheels.
The company claim that the drivetrain is 97% efficient and that the car, made from carbon fibre and aluminium, weighs under 2,900 pounds. The rear flat aero wheels have fender skirts to improve their aerodynamics. Cameras replace the rearview mirrors to reduce wind drag. However, this futuristic addition means the car encounters difficulties in the US and UK, where the law requires working wing mirrors.
The Lightyear One is not a high-performance car. It achieves 0 to 60mph in around 10 seconds and has 136hp available. However, its 53 square feet of solar panels can reach seven miles of range per hour on a sunny day and a total of 25 miles on cloudy days. Testing achieved 440 miles on a single charge of the 60kWh battery pack. Of course, real world numbers will likely differ as the car deals with traffic, acceleration, and environmental differences. The interior is designed with the driver in mind and considers storage, luggage space, and driver and passenger comfort.
Is the Lightyear One the first of many?
The Lightyear One will have a limited run of 946 cars built to order. Each car costs £134,186, give or take a few pounds for the exchange rate. They are not likely to reach the mass market for a few more years and are likely to be toys for the rich and famous in the short term. However, if they work and fulfil their promised potential, they may offer a viable alternative to electric and combustion engines in the future.
You can reduce your on-road costs and carbon footprint with a new lease from Express Vehicle Contracts. We can’t offer you the Lightyear One, but we have a wide range of electric and hybrid cars to lease. Contact us today and benefit from the latest technology at an affordable monthly cost.
