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Drive to survive

In 2023, Dutch vehicle-integrated PV (VIPV) startup Lightyear went bankrupt after attempting to commercialize its solar car, the Lightyear 0. While mass production of solar cars is a long way off, Lightyear has resurrected itself under the leadership of Bonna Newman. The CEO tells pv magazine about the startup’s strategic gear switch to on-board solar charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs).

By

Blathnaid O’Dea

31 Jul 2025

The company claims the Lightyear 0 prototype is around 30% to 40% more efficient than most electric cars now on the market. | Image: Lightyear

Lightyear is steering in a new direction, according to CEO Bonna Newman. The Eindhoven University of Technology spinoff now operates on a business-to-business model, selling its integrated solar charging technology to electric carmakers, who are currently testing the products as a potential fit for their customers. Newman said she hopes to be able to announce …

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