Lightyear's affordable new solar EV explained in 5 key specs

James Pero Dec. 23, 2021 Tech Cheaper, more efficient, and coming for Tesla's title for long range king.

Whether you’ve heard of Lightyear or not, the upstart’s solar-assisted EV is one of the most serious Tesla competitors to enter the ring over the last several years, not just in terms of technology, but in style, and now, arguably the most important factor — price.

The Lightyear Two , which the company recently announced, will slide into the market as one of the most affordable electric sedans, making it competitive with the likes of other mid-range EVs like the Tesla Model 3. And while price is a big factor, that’s not the only thing the new solar-assisted car has going for it. Here’s what you need to know about Lightyear’s upcoming EV in five key stats.

$34k That's how much the Lightyear Two will cost.

At $34,000 the Lightyear Two will clock in at about one-third of the cost of Lightyear’s Pioneer Edition and undercut Tesla’s Model 3 sedan by several thousand dollars. Obviously, Lightyear isn’t content just selling luxury vehicles. It wants to go toe-to-toe with the biggest players, too.

2x Lightyear Two will have twice as much range as similarly priced electric vehicles.

The Lightyear Two will apparently have double the range of similarly priced EVs with comparable battery packs. For reference, the base Tesla Model 3 gets an estimated 272 miles per charge, and while it seems crazy to think the Lightyear Two will actually double that limit, recent tests of its One prototype have clocked in at 441 miles , so maybe it’s not as big of a stretch as it seems.

5x The Lightyear Two will require five times less charging than similar electric vehicles.

Solar panels won’t just extend Two’s range, they’ll also drastically reduce the amount of charging drivers have to do. It’s hard to argue with spending less time worrying about a dead battery or having to spend money at a charging station or, god forbid, on your own electricity bill.

$170k That's how much the Lightyear One currently costs.

The Lightyear Two’s cost comes into clearer focus when comparing it to the company’s predecessor, the Lightyear One, which clocks in at a very inaccessible $169,000. Lightyear says its One model will have more range, though it’s not clear how much more the EV will have. With this big of a price discrepancy, we can probably expect other significant differences between the models.

5,000 The amount of cars being reserved by LeasePlan.

Already, LeasePlan , a Dutch leasing company, has reserved 5,000 units of the Lightyear Two which will be made available through its service. It’s not a blockbuster start, but it’s certainly something.

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