The market for solar vehicles is evolving at a rapid pace, with manufacturers vying to create the most efficient and visually stunning designs. Let’s explore some of the top solar vehicles currently available: At the forefront of solar vehicle innovation is the Lightyear 2, a sleek and long-range solar car.
German company Sono Motors, Southern California-based Aptera Motors, and Dutch company Lightyear are all producing electric vehicles with integrated solar panels, which can harness the sun’s power to provide around 15-45 additional miles on a clear day.
The Lightyear One is a prototype of a 100% solar-powered electric vehicle that will be launched for the public in 2021. Lightyear, the Dutch start-up manufacturer of Lightyear One, was established in 2016 by former members of Solar Team Eindhoven.
Solar-powered cars are still a concept but are likely to become a reality soon. First, let's discuss 100% solar-powered cars, which are still in the concept phase. The Lightyear One is a prototype of an electric vehicle covered in solar panels, scheduled for public launch in 2021.
According to the article in SolarFeeds Magazine, the Toyota model and the Ford C-Max have solar panels installed. Panasonic provided the solar panel roof for the Toyota model, and the Ford C-Max was introduced in 2014 with 16 square feet of solar panels that charge the lithium-ion battery pack.
Solar-powered cars do not consume a lot of energy once they have been charged by the sun. Solar panels in these cars convert sunlight into electricity, and the sun’s energy is free to everyone during the day. In solar-powered cars, solar panels and other components initially consume energy and resources, but other than those, these cars do not require any additional energy input.