The world's first solar-powered car is about to go into production.

This project was announced last year and promises to be the first successful car model in this segment, when it is "backed" by the European Union (EU) thanks to its potential.

According to the manufacturers, this car is called Lightyear 0, the roof and hood of the car are covered with 2 layers of solar panels with a total area of ​​5m2, but in fact the main drive system of the car is 4 motors using electric energy for a maximum operating range of 700 km. The auxiliary solar battery system on sunny days can allow the car to run 70 km without any other energy source.

According to the company, depending on the country and region, Lightyear 0 users can use the car for up to 7 months without needing to charge it. In foggy climates, like the Netherlands, the car will need to be charged after 2 months.

Lightyear One, a solar-powered car, was introduced by this company not long ago.

Mr. Lex Hoefsloot - CEO and co-founder of the company said, Lightyear 0 has many things in common with the Lightyear One prototype that was launched 2 years ago, has a finished product that meets public operating standards in the Netherlands and Spain, but has more modern features, the transmission system is considered the most efficient in the world, with 4 motors on the wheels allowing less battery consumption in the same operating range.

“We will officially manufacture this model in the near future, the car will act as a technology demonstrator. Our goal is to reach the mass market in about 3 years, with the price of a car at about 30 thousand euros” - Mr. Lex Hoefsloot said.

However, the current announced cost of producing this car is very high, over 268,000 USD (about 6.3 billion VND), not including value added tax (VAT) or any other fees. This means that at the present time, if considering commercial feasibility, it is not suitable.

The Lightyear One, tested in Italy, completed 400km on a single charge while driving at a constant speed of 130km/h.

“You can use solar power anywhere in good weather to charge your batteries. However, in bad weather, this is a disadvantage. In addition, replacing fuel-powered cars requires consumers to give up habits that have been with them for many years, even decades,” said Professor Gregory Nemet of the University of Wisconsin, USA.

However, according to the assessment, with the European Union voting last June to approve the bloc's Climate Plan, in which the focus is on cutting 50% of gasoline and diesel cars by 2030 and banning all sales by 2035, along with that, if Lightyear has enough resilience like Tesla with electric cars before, this car segment can expand its territory in the future, becoming an inevitable trend after electric cars, although it is still a distant future./.