Ask yourself this. What’s stopping you from pulling the trigger on an EV right now. Is it the high price point? The lack of charging infrastructure? Well, yes, but the main culprit and the bane of all the EV user’s existence has been the range anxiety associated with it. But what if there was a way around it? What if there was a product which ran on full-electric power, just on solar power, without needing to be plugged in?

That’s exactly what a Dutch startup has done, well sort of. The startup, which is aptly named ‘Lightyear’ has unveiled its first EV, also is called the ‘0,’ which claims of running on solar power alone for 44 miles (71km). While that’s only a part of its estimated 624km range, the company claims that the EV can “theoretically” go without charge for several months in the right environment. 

This is said to be achieved with the help of 54 square feet of patented double-curved solar arrays, which constantly draw energy from the sun. As per the company, this lets the EV go without needing to be charged for up to seven months. In cloudy climates though, with an average commute of around 35km a day, this number drops down to up to two months, which is still quite impressive. 

While the patented solar panels do play their part well, the aerodynamic design of the car and the highly efficient electric motors on the car is what help in pushing the EV to get absurd numbers. However, don’t expect it to be a track hooligan, with the  EV topping out at 160kph. 

This isn’t the first time the concept of mounting solar panels on the roof of cars has been explored in the EV space. For instance, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept makes use of similar technology, but only adds 15 miles (24km) to its range. Not to mention, unlike the Mercedes, the Lightyear 0 is scheduled to go into production later this year, with deliveries set to commence as soon as November 2022. 

This, however, isn’t without a catch. Only 946 units of the EV will go into production, with each retailing for $263,000 (Rs 2.05 crore). Of course, the claims are lofty and it’ll be interesting to see just how legit the Lightyear 0 turns out to be. We’ll be sure to keep you updated.

(Image credits: Lightyear)