According to Lightyear, this all facilitates a potential range of 1,000km (620 miles) between plug-ins, and up to 70km (43 miles) of additional daily range. These figures are based on ownership in southern Spain, though – if you live in, say, the relative gloom of Glasgow rather than glorious Granada, an extra 30km (18 miles) a day would be feasible.
With a starting price of 250,000 Euros (£216,983), the Lightyear 0 – available via the company’s website, with orders from Britain accepted – will be limited in number, with 946 being made, and essentially act as a toe in the water for the nascent tech. It’s what comes next, in 2025, that the firm hopes will be a game changer.
Selten explained: “After demonstrating the technology with Lightyear 0, we will begin production of Lightyear 2, our more accessible mass-market model, which, in addition to our current markets [the EU, Switzerland and Norway], will be sold in the UK with an adjusted steering wheel, the US, and eventually Asia.
“Our ambition is to ramp the volumes upwards of 100,000 a year. Lightyear 2 will be built with families in mind, and with an accessible price point, starting at €30,000 (£25,940), and cost of ownership to rival a mid-sized fossil fuel-based car. It will truly bring clean mobility to the masses.”
100,000 is not an insignificant number; sufficient in ambition to prompt even a solar sceptic to pause for thought. Certainly, with a string of alarmist headlines over the past few months highlighting delays to solar projects caused by increased costs and shortages of raw materials, it’s easy to doubt the viability of the tech. But Lightyear remains bullish.