Category: Aspiring OEMs

Lightyear wins €100 000 in Postcode Lottery Green Challenge

Martijn Lammers — Co-Founder

We have joined the finalists on stage at the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge. The four other finalists came from all over the world to pitch their companies in front of an international jury (http://www.greenchallenge.info/info/juries). Lightyear will use the 100,000 euro cash prize to accelerate the development of their first car, the Lightyear One. Several preliminary rounds preceded the finals. Out of a total of over 500 companies the five finalists remained.

“All the problems we have had with zero emissions vehicles, those belong to the past now.” – Lex Hoefsloot, CEO of Lightyear during his pitch at the Green Challenge finals.

On June 29, 2017 the Dutch startup Lightyear officially announced their plans to bring a commercial solar car to the market in 2019. The first vehicle, the Lightyear One, is an electric four-wheel drive car that can handle rough terrain and has a battery range of 800 kilometers, charged by the sun. Production of th..

Lightyear Investor Cafe: this is only the beginning

Martijn Lammers — Co-Founder

We have held our first Investor Cafe.

During this evening we presented our plans to a select group of people from our network. We informed them on what we are doing and what our plans are for the near future. We would like to thank all attendants, especially our ambassadors Camilla van den Boom, Maarten Steinbuch and Ton Backx.

Goals
The goal for this evening was to slowly start putting our mission out in the world and get valuable feedback on our plans & story. Mobilising our network to help us has proved a good strategy to test our plans against a larger group of interested people of various backgrounds. It is extremely motivating to see a growing group of people interested. Their feedback gives us a clear overview of what parts of our plans to focus on. We do this to continuously keep learning and improving.

First investors
Attendants of the investor cafe got the first, exclusive, opportunity to be among the first investors in Lightyear. To..

FAQ: How does a solar car work?

Arjo van der Ham — Co-Founder

A solar car is a car that uses the sun as its main source of energy. You might know some experimental solar cars from the World Solar Challenge, a biannual 3000 km challenge through the deserts of Australia.

The first known long distance solar car is The Quiet Achiever. Built by the brothers Larry and Garry Perkins, this car crossed the Australian continent from west to east in 1982. It reached an average speed of 23 km/h. Over the years, battery and solar technology have improved. A lot. In 2013 the World Solar Challenge introduced the Cruiser class for more practical family cars. Today the technology is at an adequate level to start the development of commercial solar cars.

How do solar cars work?
At its core, a solar car is an electric car – one with an unlimited, free and wireless power source which it takes anywhere it goes. Basically, a solar car consists of a solar panel, a battery and one or more electric motors. All these parts are co..

Lex goes USA, come meet us!

Lex Hoefsloot — Co-Founder

The dust has settled following the public launch in June, which has brought us the helping hand of many. Not only can we announce that dozens of people are interested in placing or have already placed a reservation for the Lightyear One, we have also received many applications from talent all over the world passionate about collaborating on our mission. We are expanding our team, with our most urgent vacancy being a Mechanical Architect. Although these are still humble beginnings, our movement is taking shape.

So what have I been up to? I was honoured to participate in the Global Solutions Program at Singularity University. Together with 89 people from 47 different countries chosen from thousands of applications, Lex has had a crash course in the future from the world’s best thinkers, including Peter Diamandis (“The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” – by Fortune Magazine) and Ray Kurzweil (“the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes and as a “restless ge..

The seemingly impossible car

Arjo van der Ham — Co-Founder

Technology today is evolving faster than ever. When you stop and think about it, the possibilities seem endless. Every day, a lot of great (or to be honest, most of the time not-so-great) ideas pop into my, our, or your head. Although the seemingly impossible ideas are hard to achieve, it does not have to imply that they are bad ideas. That’s why at Lightyear we like to do some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations to check the feasibility of some of those ideas.

Before we founded Lightyear, we used to meet every Thursday evening to do just that. After concluding that we wanted to start a business to make this world a better place by combating climate change, we started looking for the best solution. The first step we took was to investigate the underlying causes of human induced climate change, and we quickly found the following graph:

Total greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands, 2014, World Resources Institute.

We were s..

Mobility is a necessity – Everyone will always travel

Lex Hoefsloot — Co-Founder

Do you remember the game-changer of mobility in the 20th century? Yes, it was Henry Ford with his car: the model T.

From this point in time urban planning was centred around the car. The streets and cities faced major transformations. Many new features came along, like parking lots, motorways, gas stations, and traffic lights. Each of these developments helped us to move around easier and more comfortable. It became easier to visit our friends and family in other towns. The time to travel reduced from days to hours, the car unlocked many opportunities. Nowadays, the car is our most expensive possession, after our house. It is a vehicle that we trust our safety to. We use the car to go on holidays and to go to-and-from work.

Mobility changed the distance travelled, not the time travelled.
Mobility is a condition for prosperity and well-being, and research points out that mobility is not only a means but also a goal in itself. Historically, people ..

We are Lightyear, we’re on a mission

Martijn Lammers — Co-Founder

We love electric cars…

But they’re only the first step, what if they could generate their own energy?

That’s a business opportunity!

Lightyear was founded by 5 Solar Team Eindhoven alumni. With Solar Team Eindhoven, we built the revolutionary solar cars Stella & Stella Lux. Both cars are 4 seaters, road legal, solar powered and built to win the World Solar Challenge cruiser class. After two world championships, we decided that it is time for the next step.

Our story started back in 2012. All we had was a blank canvas, no experience, no network and no money. We took our enthusiasm, a healthy dose of naivety and common sense to start an endeavour that still continues today. Looking back, it is easy to forget the times we worked until the sun came up or the problems that kept us from working at all. Like the time our cars’ transport to the competition in Australia was cancelled a week before we left. Or the desperate attempts removing a crucial ..

London Motor Show – Battersea Evolution, 5–8 May 2016

Following a very successful London Motor Show, we are pleased to report continued great interest in the new TVR

Following a very successful London Motor Show, we are pleased to report continued great interest in the new TVR

Following a very successful London Motor Show held at Battersea Evolution, we are pleased to report continued great interest in the new TVR, from the press, the trade, and private individuals alike.

The Battersea show was the first public show that TVR have attended in almost 10 years, and everyone with whom we spoke indicated they had a great day and were enthused about the return of TVR to the sports car sector.

Our stand displayed both a beautiful 1966 Griffith 400 and also a full size model of the new car that is being used for ongoing development purposes. As some of the fine detail is still being finalised, the covers were not removed, despite several attempts by both onlookers and even Tiff Needell!

The initial unveiling will take place at an exclusive private event for depositors later this year, with the full public launch to follow in 2017.

With over 400 deposits already placed, there remain less than 100 positions available for the Launch Edition model – now confirmed to be limited to 500 cars – after which prospective purchasers will be able to join a reserve list should they choose to do so.

If you were unable to attend the show, please take a moment to look at our new YouTube channel, where you will find a video of a graphic reveal that was recently filmed at our design studio, and a 360° video from the Motor Show stand which can be interactively viewed with many mobile devices, or with the use of a mouse.

If you choose to subscribe to the YouTube channel, this will ensure that you do not miss any future video or live feed updates. You can also follow our Twitter feed.

TVR announces forthcoming production facility in South Wales and significant additional investment in the project

TVR today announces that it will build a production facility in Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone, South Wales

TVR today announces that it will build a production facility in Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone, South Wales

Resurgent British sports car maker, TVR, has announced today that its new production facility will be located in the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone in South Wales. The Welsh Government will also invest in the car maker, further enhancing this exciting manufacturing project which represents over £30 million of capital expenditure over the next five years.

The contracts to locate the new TVR factory in Wales were signed on the 18th March 2016 and the deal was officially announced by Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales, during a press conference this morning. Currently, TVR is looking at several specific options for the precise location of the factory, the outcome of which will be the subject of a separate announcement in the coming weeks.

Les Edgar, Chairman of TVR said: “This is a fantastic opportunity both for TVR and the Welsh Government. South Wales is becoming a major hub for automotive and motorsport technology and development and the area is a serious opportunity for business development and job creation. We have a sports car project that has garnered global approval and excitement, and we are delighted that the Welsh government wish to become a part of an exciting new era for TVR.”

The First Minister said: “This is yet another fantastic high profile investment for Wales and a great boost for our automotive sector. TVR is another iconic and much loved, world-class brand that still commands a strong and loyal international following. I am delighted the next generation of TVRs will proudly bear the label Made in Wales.

“Today’s news follows hot on the heels of the Aston Martin announcement and sends out a strong, clear message that Wales is the location of choice for advanced manufacturing. It also illustrates that our pro-business approach is delivering results, attracting significant investment and creating high quality jobs and it is another huge boost for Wales, for our automotive sector and for our skilled workforce.”

The new TVR project, which was announced in early 2015, has already secured in excess of 350 deposits for the fantastic new launch edition car, which features innovative design and styling that maintains the distinctive TVR DNA, but also includes F1 inspired, ground-effect technology. The chassis and body has been designed by Gordon Murray of Gordon Murray Design Ltd.and will be the first production car to be manufactured using their revolutionary iStream® assembly process. Power is provided by a Cosworth tuned and enhanced V8 engine. The Welsh factory will be busy fulfilling orders that already run through to the end of 2018.

DENZA All-Electric Vehicle Showcased at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show

• DENZA all-electric vehicle shines at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show • DENZA combines Daimler’s renowned tradition and engineering expertise as a worldwide leader in safety technology and quality excellence with BYD’s leading battery technology. • The CEO of the joint venture Yan Chen said “The DENZA EV has been welcomed by many families just… Continue reading DENZA All-Electric Vehicle Showcased at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show