GET T Y IMAGES, MONICA ARSO CIVIL/SEA MAMMAL RESEARCH UNIT
SOMEONE’S INVENTED A LONG-RANGE
SOLAR-POWERED CAR?
Yep. The Lightyear One has been
designed by Netherlands-based company
.KIJV[GCT 6JG TO YCU HQWPFGF D[
CNWOPK QH 5QNCT 6GCO 'KPFJQXGP
YJKEJ YQP VJG $TKFIGUVQPG 9QTNF 5QNCT
%JCNNGPIG TCEG KP CPF
+V YCU VJGKT UWEEGUU KP VJG TCEG VJCV
KPURKTGF VJGO VQ FGXGNQR VJG ECT CPF
VGEJPQNQI[ GXGP HWTVJGT YQTMKPI YKVJ
RGQRNG YJQoXG EQOG HTQO OQVQT TCEKPI
6GUNC CPF VJG CGTQURCEG KPFWUVT[ p9G
JCXG C XGT[ FKHHGTGPV OKPFUGV CU C
EQORCP[ q UC[U %'1 CPF EQ HQWPFGT .GZ
*QGHUNQQV p9G YCPVGF VQ IGV KPVQ VJG
OKPFUGV QH OCMKPI C UWRGT GH EKGPV ECT
+VoU VJKPMKPI CDQWV ECTU FKHHGTGPVN[ HTQO
JQY YG WUGF VQ q
HOW LONG-RANGE ARE WE TALKING?
%QORCTGF YKVJ QVJGT GNGEVTKE ECTU
.KIJV[GCT 1PG KU RTGVV[ EQORGVKVKXG
9QTUV ECUG UEGPCTKQ KP EQNF YGCVJGT
YKVJ VJG JGCVKPI QP CV HCUV OQVQTYC[
URGGFU .KIJV[GCT ENCKOU VJG ECT ECP
OCPCIG CDQWV MO OKNGU +P
OQTG KFGCN EQPFKVKQPU KV ECP VTCXGN
MO OKNGU DGHQTG KV PGGFU C
EJCTIG .KIJV[GCT YCPVGF VQ IGV TKF QH VJG
KUUWGU VJCV EQPEGTP OCP[ RGQRNG CDQWV
GNGEVTKE ECTU UWEJ CU nTCPIG CPZKGV[o CPF
C NCEM QH EJCTIKPI KPHTCUVTWEVWTG UQ VJG
ECT YKNN TGRQTVGFN[ EJCTIG WR VQ MO
OKNGU QXGTPKIJV HTQO C UVCPFCTF
8 QWVNGV
YOU SAID IT WAS SOLAR-POWERED.
WHY AM I HAVING TO PLUG IT IN?
+P UQOG RCTVU QH VJG YQTNF s NKMG
OKUGTCDNG QNF $NKIJV[ s [QW YQPoV CNYC[U
DG CDNG VQ IGV D[ QP UQNCT RQYGT CNQPG
5VKNN KP VJG DTKIJVGUV VYQ OQPVJU QH
VJG [GCT KP VJG 7- [QW UJQWNFPoV PGGF
VQ EJCTIG KV HTQO CP QWVNGV CU VJG ECT
YKNN DG CDNG VQ ICKP GPQWIJ RQYGT HTQO
UWPNKIJV s VJQWIJ VJCV FGRGPFU QP JQY
HCT [QW PGGF VQ IQ QH EQWTUG 2GQRNG
NKXKPI KP UWPPKGT ENKOGU ECP GPLQ[ OQTG
Lightyear One
COULD THE FIRST LONG-
RANGE SOLAR-POWERED
CAR HERALD A NEW DAWN
FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
PERHAPS, IF YOU WANT TO
REMORTGAGE YOUR HOUSE
Primer
DISCOVERIES
UQNCT RQYGTGF FTKXKPI (QT GZCORNG
TGUKFGPVU QH 2JQGPKZ #TK\QPC EQWNF
OCPCIG FC[U
SO IS IT COATED IN SOLAR PANELS?
0QV SWKVG 6JG DQPPGV CPF TQQH CTG
EQXGTGF KP OQTG VJCP UQNCT EGNNU
.KIJV[GCT JCU FGXGNQRGF VJG VGEJPQNQI[ VQ
OCMG VJG EGNNU CU GH EKGPV CPF NKIJVYGKIJV
CU RQUUKDNG YJKNG UVKNN DGKPI UVTQPI 6JG[
CTG UVWTF[ GPQWIJ KP HCEV HQT CP CFWNV VQ
UVCPF QP YKVJQWV DTGCMKPI VJGO +V YKNN
UQNCT EJCTIG WR VQ MO OKNGU GXGT[
JQWT YJGP KP FC[NKIJV YJGVJGT KVoU UKVVKPI
QWVUKFG [QWT JQWUG QT FTKXKPI CNQPI VJG
TQCF 6JCVoU PQV DCF s QP C UWPP[ FC[ [QW
EQWNF RCTM WR QWVUKFG [QWT YQTM CPF
CHVGT GKIJV JQWTU [QWoF JCXG PGCTN[ MO
OKNGU QH EJCTIG VQ RNC[ YKVJ
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
.KIJV[GCT YCPVGF VQ ETGCVG C ECT QH
VJG HWVWTG CPF KVU UNGGM NKPGU EGTVCKPN[
FGNKXGT (TQO KVU TGFWEGF YGKIJV CPF
FTCI VQ C UOCNN DCVVGT[ GXGT[VJKPI JCU
DGGP QRVKOKUGF VQ OCMG KV CU GH EKGPV
CU RQUUKDNG 2NWU KVoU IQV VJG OQF EQPU
[QW YQWNF GZRGEV NKMG #RRNG %CT2NC[
CPF #PFTQKF #WVQ 6JGTGoU CNUQ C 8
RQYGT QWVNGV KPUKFG YJKEJ CEEQTFKPI VQ
*QGHUNQQV GUUGPVKCNN[ VWTPU VJG ECT KPVQ
pC RQYGT DCPM YKVJ UQNCT EGNNU QP VJG
TQQHq 6JG EQORCP[ KU CNUQ UJCTKPI KVU
VGEJPQNQI[ YKVJ QVJGT OCPWHCEVWTGTU
HOW FAST DOES IT GO?
6QR URGGF KU MO J UQ CDQWV ORJ
AND THE COST?
;QW ECP TGUGTXG QPG HQT C JGHV[ a
*QGHUNQQV KU QRVKOKUVKE VJCV
RTKEGU YKNN FTQR CU RTQFWEVKQP KPETGCUGU
p+H YG RWUJ GPGTI[ EQPUWORVKQP
FQYP CPF VJGTGHQTG GPGTI[ EQUV CPF
OCKPVGPCPEG EQUVU FQYP VJGP [QW YKNN
IGV VQ XGT[ NQY EQUVU RGT MKNQOGVTG q JG
UC[U p#PF VJKU KU VJG UVTCVGI[ YG CTG
WUKPI VQ IGV VQ UWRGT CHHQTFCDNG RTKEG
RQKPVU KP VQ [GCTU q
“Worst-case
scenario: in cold
weather, with the
heating on, at fast
motorway speeds,
in can manage
about 400km on
one charge. Range
anxiety begone”