Featured in As simple as IBC – 03-2023

Solar cars: Lightyears away?

The integration of solar cells and vehicles looks like a sure bet for the future of cars, buses, and trucks. But for startups that have bet on making solar a feature of their electric vehicles (EVs), times are tough, reports pv magazine’s Tristan Rayner.
Lightyear has abandoned its Lightyear 0 vehicle and now focuses on the development of its more affordable Lightyear 2 model. | Photo: Lightyear

Even just a few short months ago, vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) seemed to be the key in the ignition for new EV startups. At the end of November 2022, Dutch company Lightyear had commenced production of its first VIPV car – the Lightyear 0 – in Finland, starting with one car per week and scaling upwards …

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