Dozens of electric vehicle makers have marketed their plug-in EVs as clean and green emissions-free vehicles as opposed to automobiles with traditional internal combustion engines.
Consumers are lining up to purchase Tesla (TSLA) vehicles that run from $46,990 for the basic Tesla Model 3 to about $135,990 for the luxury Tesla Model S Plaid. Electric vehicle buyers can also seek to buy the most affordable EV on the market, the 2023 Chevy Bolt, for $26,595 after General Motors (GM) announced on June 2 that it was lowering the car's price by $6,300.
Supply chain issues and inflation are bound to increase the price of most EVs on the market. A survey of 65 EV models for 2022/2023 by Electrek on Jan. 31 showed the highest priced EV on the market was the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo at $187,700.
Porsche
Unique Electric Vehicle Unveiled
Netherlands-based EV maker Lightyear is rolling out an even more expensive luxury vehicle, the Lightyear 0, which has an innovative technological feature that no other EV company currently offers.
The EV company on June 9 launched the Lightyear 0, the production vehicle of the first solar-powered electrical car on the market. The company spent six years of research and development, design, engineering, prototyping and testing of the vehicle, which will go into production in fall 2022. The company will produce 949 of the vehicles, Bloomberg reported, that are priced at about $263,000 or 250,000 euros.
Lightyear 0 will enable drivers to freely travel for up to seven months without plugging into a household outlet or charging station, according to a company statement. Lightyear 0 is offering a new future for motorists who want the freedom of mobility with the peace of mind of sustainable energy, the company said.
“Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for since us five co-founders sat in a kitchen sketching out our dream of building the most sustainable car on the planet.” Lightyear Co-Founder and CEO Lex Hoefsloot said in the statement. “In 2016, we only had an idea; three years later, we had a prototype. Now, after six years of testing, iterating, (re)designing, and countless obstacles, Lightyear 0 is proof that the impossible is actually possible.”
The Lightyear 0 can travel over 621 miles, or 1,000 kilometers, of range between charges. The vehicle has about 54 square feet (5 square meters) of patented double-curved solar panels rolling over the top of the car that allows the car to power itself with about 43 miles (70 kilometers) of range per day on top of about 625 kilometers WLTP range. The vehicle can plug into a home outlet or charge station on days when the sun isn't shining.
The EV has four in-wheel motors, which is the most efficient electrical drivetrain available today, the statement said. The dashboard is equipped with a 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment system that permits cloud-based updates, and the interior is composed entirely of vegan and naturally-sourced materials such as ecological microfiber suede seats and rattan palm detailing.
Lightyear, a high-tech company which has contracted with car-as-a-service company LeasePlan to build its first models, plans to deliver 5,000 affordable Lightyear 2 vehicles at about $31,553 (30,000 euros) in the U.S. for 2024/2025. The company in April quickly sold out of its first 150 orders of Lightyear 1, the Pioneer Edition, for about $157,558 (150,000 euros.)
