AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Lightyear doesn’t think battery-powered vehicles are sustainable enough. That’s why the Dutch-based tech startup has spent the past six years working on a solar-powered EV called the 0. And now the company says that vehicle, which can supposedly go months between charges, is finally ready to hit the road.
The 0 is a more refined version of the One concept that Lightyear first showed off in 2019. The production EV still has the same teardrop-shaped body and rear wheel spats as the prototype, but everything else has been simplified. From the nose to the long tail, the vehicle’s lines are much smoother than before. It also has a new light package, including taillights that better follow the shape of the rear, and its side-view mirrors have been replaced with cameras.
As sleek as the 0 may look, what really sets it apart from other EVs is its powertrain. Unlike so many premium EVs, Lightyear’s engineers seemed to have placed an emphasis on efficiency over performance. The 0’s powertrain consists of a four-motor setup connected to a 60-kWh battery pack that produces a combined 174 hp and 1,269 ft lbs of torque, according to CNET Roadshow. Thanks to that, it accelerates from zero to 62 mph in decidedly pedestrian 10 seconds and has a top speed of just under 100 mph.
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