this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Similar story to Aptera Motors, they collapsed and reformed in 2019 and they're raising money to put out a solar EV.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I guess… Aptera’s vehicle is much more innovative and much closer to production. What makes this car interesting? I can’t find the specs but it looks like a regular vehicle with solar on the roof which I don’t think is a very practical idea.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

About 80% of all effort for the Lightyear cars is in efficiency.

You have the obvious, like weight and aerodynamics. But also things like in-wheel motors, which are much more efficient than normal electrical engines, since there are almost no mechanical losses. Or the rear-view camera's, which save a lot of energy on air-resistance.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Interesting. I hope it works out but I’m a bit skeptical that the conventional car chassis is practical for solar power barring some big improvements in technology. It just doesn’t have enough surface area compared to its weight and drag profile. If they pull it off that would be great but I’m skeptical they can build such a car at that price point.