Wind-tunnel testing has confirmed that the Lightyear 0 is probably the most aerodynamic manufacturing automotive on the planet, Lightyear claims.
Testing carried out on the FKFS wind tunnels in Stuttgart, Germany, beneath WLTP protocols confirmed a 0.175 coefficient of drag (Cd) for the solar-assisted electrical automotive, Lightyear mentioned Thursday in a press launch.
That determine places the Lightyear 0 forward of the Lucid Air, Tesla Mannequin S, and Mercedes-Benz EQS, all at 0.20 to 0.21. Every of these are a lot bigger than the Lightyear 0, nevertheless, and can possible be produced in greater volumes. Lightyear has mentioned it solely plans to promote 150 automobiles (priced at about $260,000 every), with a “high-volume” model to comply with.
Lightyear 0
Lightyear’s declare is a powerful achievement for even a low-volume manufacturing automotive, nevertheless.
The Mercedes EQXX achieves simply 0.17, however it’s not production-bound. The idea is a showcase of concepts to enhance EV effectivity, and did a real-world vary run of 746 miles from Stuttgart to Silverstone, England, on a single cost—with sufficient vitality to spare for some victory laps.
Launched in 2013, the Volkswagen XL1 achieved a 0.189 Cd. The slim coupe used a plug-in hybrid diesel powertrain that appeared like a good suggestion within the days earlier than the VW emissions scandal, and was truly produced in very restricted numbers. Simply 200 have been offered out of a deliberate run of 250 automobiles solely for the European market, the place the Lightyear 0 can even be obtainable.
Lightyear 0
The manufacturing Basic Motors EV1 had a Cd of 0.195, however that was achieved with a reasonably impractical two-door physique shell. The EV1 wasn’t a high-volume automotive, both. GM constructed 1,117 and leased them to prospects in California and a handful of different places. Most have been recalled and destroyed after California modified its zero-emission car legal guidelines, permitting the EV1 to be withdrawn with out the specter of penalties.
The EV1, XL1, EQXX, and now the Lightyear 0 have proven that slicing drag requires a radically totally different form to traditional automobiles. Does that make sedans out of date? On the very least, designers and engineers trying to make a three-box sedan with modern aero face some powerful challenges.
