Netherlands-based automotive startup Lightyear has conducted tests in Aprilia, Italy to determine the aerodynamic and power efficiency of its upcoming supercar, the One. The results were rather convincing.
The engineering team endeavored to find out how higher speeds in winter temperatures affect power consumption. For the purpose of the test, the EV was repeatedly driven at 130 km/h (80 mph) with brief accelerations to 160 km/h (100 mph) at 10 degrees Celsius (+50 ºF). The power consumption averaged at 141 watt-hours per kilometer in this scenario, allowing the One to cover 400 kilometers (248 miles) of range.
Analyzing the results, the company concluded that the One was more efficient at using its 60-kWh traction battery than its rivals. According to Lightyear, a Tesla Model 3 or Model S with the same battery installed would consume 211 Wh/km and max out at 265 km (165 miles).
The startup boasts that its car will be guaranteed to cover 700 km (435 miles) or more using just the 60-kWh battery on board and some solar panels. When tested in the middle of 2020, it allegedly made it as far as 710 km (441 miles) on a single charge.
If the claims are true, the supercar will earn the title of the world’s most power-efficient EV. We should learn soon enough whether this is the case, given that the production begins in the first half of 2022 as promised.
In two of three years from now, Lightyear plans to introduce a more affordable car priced around $150,000. The One is expected to cost about five times as much.