Lightyear to focus on production of solar cells for electric cars

The Dutch company Lightyear, developer of the eponymous solar electric cars, will temporarily shift its focus from the production of solar cars to solar cells for electric cars. This is reported by Dutch media, including »Het Financieele Dagblad«. According to the report, Lex Hoefsloot, CEO and co-founder of Lightyear, justified the change in the company's focus by citing the delayed market launch of electric cars coupled with strong demand from the automotive industry for solar modules that can be integrated into the vehicle shell.
In January, insolvency had been filed for the production company of the »Lightyear 0« presented in 2019, and the series production of this model with a last stated sales price of €250,000 ($263,000), which started in December 2022 at Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive, was discontinued. Discussions are underway with various parties, including South Korean investor Sunbo, about launching the much cheaper Lightyear 2 solar car, Hoefsloot told Het Financieele Dagblad. The decision to resume solar car production will depend on the outcome of the talks.
© PHOTON