Lightyear opens waitlist for its high-volume solar EV

Dutch firm Lightyear on Thursday said it has opened the waitlist for its second production model, Lightyear 2, which is expected to start production by the end of 2025.

Lightyear 2 is a solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) that offers a driving range of over 500 miles (805 km) between charges and is estimated to cost below EUR/USD 40,000, the company says. The first launch markets include the US, the UK and the EU.

"By harnessing the power of the sun, Lightyear 2 elevates the electric driving experience and reduces reliance on strained electricity grids," said Lightyear chief executive and co-founder Lex Hoefsloot. "In fact, while Lightyear 2 vehicles require less charging from the electricity grid than a conventional EV, they also flip the script by providing clean energy back into the grid," added Hoefsloot.

According to the announcement, Lightyear 2 has 21,000 pre-orders from international leasing and ride sharing partners, LeasePlan, MyWheels, Arval and Athlon.

Lightyear launched a prototype in 2019. Its production-intent vehicle, the Lightyear 0, was launched in June 2022 and started limited production in November 2022. The next step is the high-volume model Lightyear 2.

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