Roughly six months after first being showcased to the world, the Lightyear One Prototype has made an appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. During the event, Roadshow had the opportunity to check it out up close.
There are a number of things that make the Lightyear One stand out from most other electric vehicles currently on the market or being readied for sales. For starters, it features four small in-wheel electric motors and a 60 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and is said to be good for a range of 450 miles (725 km).
Read More: Lightyear One Prototype Is An Electric Vehicle That Can Be Recharged By The Sun
Then we come to the design of the EV. It features an extremely sleek and aerodynamic shape that helps it cut through the air and preliminary tests have revealed the drag coefficient to be around 0.20. Aiding in the aerodynamics is a completely flat underbody.
The shape of the One has also allowed Lightyear to adorn the entire roof (5 square meters worth) with solar panels. If the car were to be parked outside somewhere where it gets a lot of sun, the solar roof alone could add 31-43 miles (50-70 km) of range per day during summer. When the sun isn’t enough to provide owners with the range they need, the One also supports typical charging and can have its battery topped up to 249 miles (400 km) of range by charging overnight from a 230V socket.
Lightyear plans on launching the production-spec One in 2021. The car will not be cheap. In fact, prices start at €119,000 ($132,520) in Europe.