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Lightyear Temporarily Suspends Solar Car Development
The alarm bell sounded for the last time for Lightyear on January 26. Part of Lightyear was declared bankrupt. Lightyear has made a new start in an adapted form, but you should no longer expect a solar car from the brand for the time being. The FD writes that Lightyear has canceled its plans to launch a solar car until further notice. Lightyear would not have succeeded in finding new investors, FD writes based on a conversation with Lightyear CEO Lex Hoefsloot.
“The automotive sector is showing increasing interest in electricity from solar cells. This is also due to pressure from the EU to electrify the automotive sector. But thinking about solar energy is still at an early stage. And in the current capital market it is not easy to raise money,” Hoefsloot said in FD. Lightyear wanted – if it managed to raise enough money – to continue developing its second model: the Lightyear 2. It should be considerably less expensive than the Lightyear 0, the brand’s first solar car. As it looks now, the Lightyear 2 won’t be available for a while. However, it is not yet completely over for a solar car. Hoefsloot indicates that it is investigating with partners how such a model can be brought onto the market in the long term.
For the time being, Lightyear is focusing on its subsidiary Lightyear Layer, which produces solar panels for car roofs in Venray. According to Hoefsloot, the demand for solar roofs would increase in the car world. Lightyear Layer has already signed a letter of intent with one company.
