
Lightyear unveils the first long-range solar car on June 25 - SanderMak
https://lightyear.one/lightyear-unveils-the-first-long-range-solar-car-on-june-25/
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Tepix
I've ordered the Sono Sion¹ electric car. It has solar cells (1200W max) that
will charge the car during the day adding - on average - 10km range per day
(34km max in the summer).

I only drive a few kilometers per week. If everything goes well I won't have
to charge the car for months.

The Sion has a rather small battery so its range is only 250km or so. Enough
for me, but that's something that a significant number of people are not yet
comfortable with.

\--

¹
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sono_Motors_Sion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sono_Motors_Sion)

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sokoloff
> I only drive a few kilometers per week.

Is it even worth owning a car to only drive a few kilometers per week, which
seems to imply under 200 miles per year? The fixed costs would seem terribly
onerous on a per-km basis.

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gameswithgo
i suppose if for some reason you can't ride a bike. Dangerous roads is a
common limiter, or needing to carry heavy stuff.

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agumonkey
Honestly, bikes are a hassle. Too easy to steal. I used to ride everywhere
with my bike, but the mental drag of having to find a safe spot, chain it (and
even then, many guys carry around large nut cracker) .. it killed biking
except for pauseless round trips.

~~~
Tepix
Luckily, i haven't had an issue with bicycle theft in over a decade. I'm using
a dutch-style frame lock and a steel cable. It's a lot faster than finding a
parking space for my car.

~~~
agumonkey
Car parking spot are hell too, but car theft is massively more dangerous for
the perpetrator.. if your bike gets stolen, the chances of it being looked
after and found are .. slim ?

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manigandham
Hasn't the math already been done? There's just not enough sunlight exposure
to get anywhere near the power requirements for a mid-sized vehicle.

You end up with tiny boxes on wheels covered in very expensive and fragile
panels that only work in perfectly bright and sunny days. Impacts, accidents,
maintenance, and manufacturing externalities are all against this approach.

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tonyedgecombe
_There 's just not enough sunlight exposure to get anywhere near the power
requirements for a mid-sized vehicle_

Using that logic we shouldn't build a single power station because it doesn't
cover the power requirements of the whole country.

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dx7tnt
You can't use that logic, because the two aren't even equivalent.

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tonyedgecombe
The solar panel on the roof of that car is there to generate electricity just
as much as a power station is. The difference is scale.

~~~
justaguyhere
Yeah, but solar farms are typically located in areas where there is abundant
sunlight through out the year, not the same for cars

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huhtenberg
> _The page isn’t redirecting properly_

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swebs
[http://archive.is/93QX3](http://archive.is/93QX3)

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huhtenberg
> _Unable to connect_

It's just not my day, I guess :)

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mapcars
"from €149.000" sounds a bit too much

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jimbob365
I can imagine solar panels being helpful if your car is parked in the sun
during the day, allowing you to commute using the charge from that, but I
struggle to see how this would help maximise the range. Wouldn't the 12km/h
charging be inconsequential to a long car journey?

~~~
8draco8
It depends on the situation. If the car will be parked outside then charging
12km/h is very nice. During 8h at work that's 96km charged, that's enough for
a daily commute and some shopping.

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King-Aaron
I'm honestly surprised Tesla etc aren't already doing this. I also feel that
what we've seen with Tesla's struggles to bring cars to market, Lightyear
would be better off partnering with an existing company rather than trying to
launch their own vehicle.

~~~
clouddrover
Another solar car, still a couple of years away from production:
[https://sonomotors.com/en/sion/](https://sonomotors.com/en/sion/)

An interview and demo of the Sono Sion on Fully Charged:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLZKdkgB85k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLZKdkgB85k)

Fully Charged also has an interview and a ride along in the Lightyear One:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSbWwn_YCr8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSbWwn_YCr8)

~~~
LoSboccacc
> 250km on a 35kWh battery

> up to 34 kilometers of additional range per day

so

4.75kwh from solar panel in 8 hours

600 watt solar panel average power

4m^2 solar panels give or take

back of the envelope calculation checks out, this would be a great commuter
car.

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ianbooker
A friend of mine owned an Audi from 2003 that had a solar-covered sun roof
feeding into the AC. On sunny days it would at least exchange enough air while
parking so turning on the AC for small trips was not necessary. Just
brilliant!

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cagenut
Fully Charged just released a full 20 minute video about it:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSbWwn_YCr8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSbWwn_YCr8)

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Digit-Al
Sounds like Lightyear are trying to create some "Buzz". (Sorry)

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kuu
This seems a little contradiction, I don't understand it:

 _The 4-wheel drive car is designed to go for long periods without cable
charging. The battery alone has a range of 600-800 kilometers, depending on
the usage. When it does need to be charged, the model’s energy efficiency
makes it charge two or three times faster than any other electric car on the
market. This means drivers can charge up to 400km overnight with an ordinary
power socket_

"without cable charging" but "can charge up to 400km with an ordinary power
socket" :\

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vageli
> This seems a little contradiction, I don't understand it:

> The 4-wheel drive car is designed to go for long periods without cable
> charging.

It is the long periods that are without cable charging, not that cable
charging is not needed to drive long periods.

