Production of Dutch Lightyear 0 (250,000 euros) begins

Production in Finland

Lightyear does not produce the 0 in the Netherlands, by the way, but at Finland’s Valmet Automotive. One car a week rolls off the production line. Production will be ramped up in the first four months of 2023. The targeted production number of the Lightyear 0 comes to 946 units. The specialized production line at Valmet was completely rebuilt to facilitate the manufacturing process of the extraordinary solar-powered car and its complex engineering.

Naked body comes from United Kingdom

The manufacturing process begins with the naked body, which serves as the skeleton of the vehicle. This body is delivered from the United Kingdom. After a thorough inspection, the main wiring harness and floor mats are installed. The vehicle then moves to the next stage of the assembly line, where insulation is applied and all necessary cables and piping are installed. Next comes the robotic cell. In this cell, a specialized robot is used to apply the glue globules to the oh-so-important solar panels. Manipulators then semi-manually place the glass and solar panels on the body.

Pre-assembly

During this time, the front and rear subassemblies, which include the subframe, suspension, wheel motors and other mechanical and electrical components, are pre-assembled. Other pre-assembly hubs also mount the dashboard, center console, doors and tailgate.

Marriage Lightyear 0

The proverbial “marriage” is the next step in the process. This is where the body and powertrain are assembled. Then the 61.2 kWh high-voltage battery is installed. This battery weighs 350 kilograms. The low weight, compared to other batteries for electric cars, contributes to the Lightyear 0‘s light overall weight. The vehicle weighs only 1,575 kilograms.

Quality control

After this, it is time to assemble the pre-assembled dashboard, center console, seats and finally the doors and tailgate. As a final step, the Bridgestone tires are mounted and the car is complete! What follows is a comprehensive series of end-of-line inspections, including brake and power tests, wheel and headlight calibrations, software checks and various other tests. The final step in the process is a quality inspection performed by professionals at Valmet Automotive.

Powertrain Lightyear 0

The Lightyear 0 has four electric motors, together good for 170 hp and an impressive 1,720 Nm of torque. Because everything is tuned for efficiency, the 0-100 time is quite modest: 10 seconds. Top speed comes out to 160 km/h.

Range

With a fully charged 60 kWh battery, the Lightyear 0 should be able to travel about 625 kilometers. On a good summer day, you get 70 kilometers as a gift from the sun. So the price of the Lightyear 0 is 250,000 euros, but the Dutch brand has already committed to a more affordable model in 2024 or 2025.