All attention on Lightyear Two
Did you have your mind set on the first production car from the Dutch Lightyear? Then unfortunately we have to disappoint you. A thick line goes through the Lightyear 0. That is what the ambitious brand that focuses mainly on the development of electric ‘solar cars’ is known for. Lightyear has even applied for a deferment of payment for the operational branch of the company.
In mid-2022, the Dutch Lightyear finally presented the final production version of the previous one als Lightyear One famous solar car. The last minute ‘solar car’ renamed Lightyear 0 seems almost named after the number of copies that Lightyear will make of it. Lightyear says it is forced to stop production of the ‘0’. So it remains with a small number of built copies.
The manufacturer says that in order to secure the arrival of the Lightyear 2, it is necessary to halt production of the Lightyear 0. That was not an easy decision, says Lightyear CEO and co-founder Lex Hoefsloot. “Unfortunately we had to make this choice. We have learned a lot from the development of the Lightyear 0 in recent years. We are now focusing all our energy on the Lightyear 2.”
Almost bankrupt
Lightyear indicates that it has applied for a deferment of payment for Atlas Technologies BV, the operational arm of the company. Lightyear would have grown too quickly and raised too little money from investors in recent times. The company now has to hunt for new capital for a possible restart. According to Hoefsloot, Lightyear hopes to secure new major investments in the coming weeks. It is not officially sunset yet. Important note: the investments made by Lightyear, including investments from the Dutch government fund and the Swedish Koenigsegg, are not directly linked to Lightyear’s operational branch, but to parent company Atlas Technologies Holding BV, which owns Lightyear’s intellectual property. The Financieele Dagblad reports that the production of the Lightyear 0 at Valmet in Finland turned out to be too expensive.
Just like the Lightyear 0, the Lightyear 2 will be a slick model with solar cells on the roof.
The Lightyear 2 is therefore a much more important model for the young company. Where the Lightyear 0, to be built in a limited edition, had a starting price of no less than €250,000, the Lightyear 2 should be the first volume model. The Lightyear 2 promises to get a starting price of less than € 40,000, although the company previously spoke of a starting price of about 30 grand. The Lightyear 2 will have an electric range of up to 800 kilometers and is already quite popular even before the car is presented. Lightyear already has 40,000 registrations from private individuals and companies such as LeasePlan and MyWheels have already registered for more than 20,000 copies.
