What This $262,000 Dutch EV Can Do That Rivals (Including Tesla) Can't

Dutch electric-vehicle startup Lightyear will begin delivering its newly launched solar and electric car in November. It comes at a hefty price tag but can pull off a feat no rival company has yet achieved.

What Happened: Priced at €250,000 ($262,000), Lightyear 0 can be driven around for months before needing to plug into a public charger or household outlet, the startup said.

The first production vehicle will come with 5 sq m of double-curved solar arrays that allow the vehicle to charge itself while on the move or when parked outdoors. 

“In optimal conditions, this enables Lightyear 0 to power itself with 70 km of range per day on top of its estimated 625 km WLTP range,” Lightyear said. “In climates such as the Netherlands, it would be two months and, in Spain or Portugal, as much as seven months.”

Lightyear said drivers will have “ the freedom to exceed 1,000 km of range between charges.”

For perspective, a Tesla Inc TSLA Model 3 Long Range, priced at $48,640 onwards, can clock 334 miles (537 km) on a single charge.

See Also: Elon Musk Says Tesla Is Not Currently Working On The $25,000 Compact Car — Here's Why

What Next? The startup will produce 946 Lightyear 0s this year and plans to launch a high volume production in late 2024, or early 2025. The next model, it said, would be priced from €30,000 ($32,150) onwards. 

Why It Matters: Lightyear is among a dozen new energy automotive startups expected to compete with EV leader Tesla and a host of legacy players switching to electric cars amid a global push towards green fuels. 

Photo courtesy: Lightyear