Lightyear wins race to market with start of solar EV production in Finland
Just six years after what began as a solar vehicle competition among students, Lightyear has reached a watershed moment in clean mobility. Today, the company officially kicked off the start of production for the Lightyear 0 solar EV at Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland, and we were fortunate enough to be the only US media outlet in attendance. Today not only proves that solar EVs are possible, but also scalable, kicking off an even more sustainable echelon of zero-emission mobility.
For those of you who are not yet aware, Lightyear began as a group of engineering students competing as Solar Team Eindhoven, capturing four world championships together. The team’s early success in solar mobility would fortify the roots that would eventually sprout into Lightyear – a startup determined to bring a commercial, street-legal version of a solar EV to the world.
In 2019, the Lightyear One made its official debut, touting tremendous range with the help of the sun. In 2020, we got our first up-close look at an early prototype of the Lightyear One outside CES in Las Vegas.
Since then, Lightyear’s flagship SEV has seen a name change with the launch of its production version, following well-documented performance and efficiency testing. After following the startup’s progress since 2017, we finally got the opportunity to drive the Lightyear 0 this past summer, and it did not disappoint. Neither did the technology within the solar EV itself, developed in-house by the Lightyear team – a group of individuals that work hard, have fun, and “just simply get it” when it comes to the future of clean mobility.
In 2021, Lightyear announced its solar EV would be assembled by Valmet Automotive in Finland – a contract manufacturer with over 50 years of experience building vehicles for nearly every legacy automaker at one point or another. Since 2009, Valmet has had the foresight to begin shifting its manufacturing to support electrification, and even built the short-lived Fisker Karma way back when.
In taking CATL on as a shareholder in 2017, Valmet Automotive has significantly bolstered its EV battery manufacturing while simultaneously supporting solar EV production for startups like Lightyear and most recently, Sono Motors.
I trekked from sunny Los Angeles to Helsinki by way of Paris, followed by a two-plus-hour car ride up to frigid Uusikaupunki to attend today’s opening ceremony, and was happy to do so (I got to try reindeer mousse for the first time, so there’s that).
Today not only marks the start of production for Lightyear, but delivers a proof of concept for scalable solar EV technology one would hope goes widespread as the most sustainable form of automotive travel to date.
Lightyear 0 begins production as a segue into the future
Lightyear cofounder and CEO Lex Hoefsloot said it best in front of a crowd of journalists, dignitaries, and employees gathered around a stage mere footsteps from the startup’s new dedicated assembly line:
This start of production moment is both a beginning and an end. The end of the chapter
we started back in 2016, and it’s the beginning of true solar mobility. It’s an achievement
in the automotive industry like never before. And while we may be the first, it’s my
sincere hope, and belief, that we won’t be the last.
In speaking with Hoefsloot this past summer in Spain versus today, following the start of Lightyear 0 production, a huge weight appears to have been lifted off his shoulders. In speaking with him, he shared a similar sentiment, explaining that the previous six years of telling everyone “please just trust me” are over, and the company he helped found now has a state-of-the-art assembly line that will soon crank out viable, deliverable solar EVs to do the talking for it. I asked him what today meant for him personally:
So there’s two momentous milestones today. One is proving that it’s possible, and second is proving that it’s scalable. It took so many people to get to this point. Thousands of people that stuck out their necks to get us to where we are today that we need to be grateful for. Because all of their friends said, “What the hell are you doing, guys? A solar car company?” Everyone that stuck with us to this point, that’s who I’m thinking about at a moment like this.
Teamwork and collaboration are a key pillars in the startup that evolved from a group solar project, but those founding principles stem beyond Lightyear itself. Hoefsloot made a point to thank several of the company’s collaborators beyond Valmet, including Bridgestone, MyWheels, and Koenigsegg, which is helping design future solar EVs, like the company’s model, currently donned the Lightyear 2.
I pointed this out when I spoke to Hoefsloot in June, but his support for solar EVs extends well beyond those donning the Lightyear badge, but to the startup’s competitors as well:
I also want to recognize and welcome the great strides our competitors have taken. We are proud of the achievements of Aptera, Lucid, and Sono, who share our dedication to clean mobility. In fact, let me correct myself. We do not have competitors. Actually, we are all pioneers, striving for the same outcomes to have a positive, lasting impact on our planet.
I asked Hoefsloot why he specifically mentioned Lucid Motors along with fellow solar EV startups like Aptera and Sono Motors. He explained that he admires the strides Lucid is making in efficiency. The formula for successful solar cars is not just aerodynamics, but also efficiency. Lucid excels in both categories but still can’t hold a candle to Lightyear’s 0.175 drag coefficient – currently the most aerodynamic production vehicle ever made.
Lightyear 2 update
Lastly, I had to ask about the Lightyear 2, which is scheduled to arrive in 2025 in both the EU and US, at a targeted starting price of around $30,000 – a significantly lower MSRP compared to the €250,000 starting price for the 946 Lightyear 0’s that will be built now that production is officially underway.
According to Hoefsloot, Lightyear will offer some form of an update for its second model at CES in Las Vegas this January, followed by a full design reveal next summer. He went on:
I think people will be amazed actually, by what is possible in high volume, because of course, the question we get the most, for good reason is “how the hell guys, do you get it from 250K (euros) to 30K?” What people underestimate about Lightyear 0 is that we focused so much on picking the technologies that are fundamentally scalable. That’s also puzzling to people why we can do it, but we’re really confident we can get to that price point.
A bunch of us will be at CES this year and will for sure be in attendance to hear more news about the Lightyear 2. Until then, check out the production process of the Lightyear 0 here in Finland with Valmet.
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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