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The world’s first production ready solar carThe Lightyear0 will arrive in the UAE early next year, shortly after the car goes on sale in Europe in late 2022.
The $244,000 (AED894,000) car made by Lightyear will be tested and sold in the Middle East, with the promise of being able to drive for months without charging.
The Dutch company, in partnership with the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, plans to open an office in the emirate after attracting investment interest in the region.
powered by the sun
Lightyear0 has installed 5 square meters of solar panels on the roof and hood, and prices in the UAE and the Middle East have not yet been announced.
A demonstration model was shown at the SRTIP district on Thursday and will be taken to different cities to roll out the technology.
Lightyear0 vehicles will arrive in Sharjah early next year.
About 150 cars priced at 250,000 euros ($242,333) were sold in the EU even before the Finnish manufacturing plant started production at the end of November.
The company will produce 946 cars designed to prove that it can be driven using only solar energy.
Highly exclusive
“We sold 150 cars. These were sold before production started, and they were endorsed,” Tom Selten, vice president of business development, told Reuters Nationwide.
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“We have a limited number of vehicles in production. It will be a very unique car. In the next few months we hope to get the Lightyear0 there [UAE)]Shows that it is possible and feasible to use solar power directly.
“Our goal is to launch our vehicle early next year.”
Through its partnership with SRTIP, the company is exploring markets in the region.
“We are investigating whether it is feasible to have these vehicles on the road in the Middle East,” Mr Selten said.
“SRTIP has excellent research and innovation centres that can be used for future collaborations with Lightyear. This is a potentially fruitful collaboration for us.
“We want to start raising awareness of the brand and hope to work constructively with them in the years to come.”
The first commercially sold solar car
Founded in 2016, the company aims to hit the mass market within two years, with the Lightyear2 priced between $30,000 and $50,000.
Cars that draw energy from the sun rarely exceed the experimental stage, and this will be the first solar electric car to be sold commercially.
Lightyear says the car can run for free in sunny countries for up to seven months.
Cars tested in Europe can travel more than 600 kilometers on a single charge.
The curved solar panels draw energy from the sun and add about 70 kilometers of solar range.
The panels continuously draw energy from the sun and charge the battery while driving or even parked outside.
The design allows the car to travel for months without being plugged in to charge.
SRTIP CEO Hussain Al Mahmoudi sees an opportunity for UAE investors.
“We want to test some of the technology related to this car in the area and have a plan with our university and students to get them involved in the test,” he said.
SRTI Park also helped Lightyear raise funds in the Middle East. While the Lightyear0 is primarily sold in Europe, the markets for the next model are the US and the Middle East.
Unlimited power
The summer temperatures in the UAE make it an ideal testing location.
“We want to test our vehicle in these conditions to make sure the whole vehicle works,” Mr Selten said.
“The summer here is really hot compared to the Netherlands, so it was a really good test to show our technology.”
The opportunity to analyse performance when driving between UAE cities makes the country a good choice, and Mr Selten said drivers in the UAE may not need to plug in their cars at all.
“We don’t think Lightyear cars need to be charged in the UAE because they can be charged by solar energy,” he said.
Updated: October 13, 2022 3:29 pm
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