3 Interesting Solar Car Projects

In this episode we take a look at the company Lightyear. Their car, the Lightyear Zero was set to be the world's first solar production car. It could drive for months without needing to be re-charged. It seemed like a dream come true but the journey was fraught with financial trouble. We also take a look at 2 other solar car projects, Aptera and Sonos.
Episode 2 of my collaboration with the ABC (AI and education): • ChatGPT is Changing Cl...
Some other stats: The motors are 97% efficient, the solar panels are 20% more efficient than average panels. The drag coefficient is less than 0.19
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[@cosmiccity_OFFICIAL]

In the Philippines, it's a struggle to find covered parking space. At work or at shopping malls, you usually end up getting your car baked in the sun for hours. I'd be glad if it was charging though. This will be a game changer for a ridiculously sunny country like ours.

[@MichaelGGarry]

Yep, all of SE Asia is a big yes on cars like this!

[@justrosy5]

And it would be awesome if the flexible solar cells could be held an inch or more above the car's roof, front-end, and rear-end, so as to create shade while gathering all that energy for storage in the battery!

[@bertr6741]

take note, we also have mass transport/ public utility vehicles that are solar powered plying same routes as the jeeps.. I prefer riding them because its much quiet, no engine vibrations and much spacious..

[@havoc7343]

Well this one will probably pricey tho

[@HueghMungus]

​@@MichaelGGarryAll of SE is poor though. Philippines is a filthy country where I saw someone dump trash in the river, directly!!! This car will be stolen in seconds, unless it is driven only in the richer neighbourhoods 😅

[@GetDaDrawsDawg]

As person who only drives a few thousand mile at most a year and leaves their car in the sun . This would be perfect.

[@rdizzy1]

Same here, I am disabled and cannot bike or walk, and my commute is only less than 5 miles per day. I only drive about 2500 miles per year and my car sits in an open parking lot all the rest of the time.

[@petros_adamopoulos]

You'd spend $40K for a car that you use so little?

[@mjs28s]

Me too. Even though I leave the house four to six days per week I in a small town I still only have to get fuel once every 6 weeks or so.

[@pingwingugu5]

Then don't buy an EV. Keeping your electric car fully charged on hot parking lot is a recipe for a dead battery. On hot summer day with plenty of sun, temperatures inside car can get easily above 60C which does not play nicely with battier, especially while you charge them. It is recommended to charge your EV during night, in shelter or at least in shadow during charging. That's one of the reasons I din't think solar cars will take off. The other reason is that it is a niche product, for people living in sunny places and/or using their car very sparingly. Stationary solar installation makes more sense in most cases.

[@timewalker6654]

@@petros_adamopoulos exactly, op is a bit stpid

[@thijnmuselaers]

As a long-standing Coldfusion fan, it was pretty special to see one about my home city and even the university I studied at. Amazing video as always 👌🏼

[@ASHISHYADAV-ny5nv]

true indeed♥

[@amel0]

Really love the video quality and implementation of your music. Been watching your content for years now but I realised that this form of creativity and quality is often taken for granted or not acknowledged nowadays so I thought I'd mention

[@ZKhweziN]

60km for daily driving is actually amazing. Here in South Africa, that's just over the avg kilometers driven a year. Add to that we have serious amounts of sun. Even in winter

[@metsanemosehlane7891]

This car will work well here in Mzansi.

[@JSabh]

Lol, solar is very inefficient when hot .. is it hot in Africa? Uh huh.

[@Wilsonphenmooneter]

Look at the power grid management in SA It's needed indeed

[@actualangel5133]

Also in India 🇮🇳

[@jitendravairagi2041]

@@JSabh I think that won't be any issue since the car would be moving and solar cells can be air cooled.

[@dreejz]

Who doesn't love another episode of ColdFusion! What a time to be alive to get this kind of content for free. Thanks mr. Altraide!

[@vv7299]

Cookie cutter comment. Who doesn't love bots

[@martineskerud6932]

Let's pin a bot comment lmao

[@smasher.]

​@@vv7299exactly bruh..

[@furanduron4926]

Flagged for botting

[@eschdaddy]

Amen brother!

[@JackScarlett1]

I recognise that bloke in the opening! Appreciate you crediting our vid. What a machine this was, privileged to have driven it and very sad it never saw the light of day. Fingers crossed Lightyear has better success with its next endeavour

[@miigon9117]

I have lost count of how many times I dreamt of a car powered by the sun since I was a little kid. This is like a childhood dream come true

[@RogueBeatsARG]

We need to protect that company, we don't need to misteriously disappear

[@quackcement]

too bad they aren't an oil company, they get support

[@jimyoung9262]

Lol. Truth

[@Aexorzist]

"up to" 40 miles of range per day. Meaning if you park it in the Arizona desert without any shade. Realistically you get maybe 20 miles per day. This isn't the magic you think it is.

[@eadweard.]

Can a company disappear "mysteriously"?

[@RogueBeatsARG]

@@eadweard. Like the guy that made the car that run on water and was killed?

[@InTimeTraveller]

Lightyear 0 was ridiculously overpriced because essentially it was a way for the company to gather funds, not because the car did indeed cost so much. Lightyear also had the problem that they expanded too much, too quickly and they didn't have time to generate a stable revenue source (i.e. actually produce and sell cars) before the money dried up, but why that happened I don't know. My guess is that it was just due to the management team not having that much experience with actual business administration. The CEO was just a fresh master's graduate when he cofounded the company having only had experience with managing small student teams, and that doesn't translate immediately to running a commercial company of 300+ employees. All the best to him though, I hope they do manage to bring Lightyear 2 to market.

[@tgchikukwa6947]

Electric solar care shouldn't be less than $80k though

[@emptyshirt]

A lightweight solar car is so contrary to the way the auto industry works that it is bound to fail. Light basic tires, basic suspension, a small battery, a cheap motor... nobody is gonna want to do business with you if doing so will poach more lucrative sales from existing partners.

[@heer_Jefferson]

Bigger brands interfered because they didn't want to lose sales

[@emptyshirt]

@@heer_Jefferson I'm saying that parts suppliers would be uninterested in working with lightspeed. Imagine how enthusiastic Michelin would be to make $100 tires for this car when they could make $300 tires for a BMW.

[@yt_bharat]

Or the other side want them to fail? This may also be the reason

[@blissbouwerij4033]

In the Netherlands we have "micro cars" that are restricted 45kmph. They are not allowed on highways but are allowed on bycle paths and city roads. Obviously they are not used for long distsnce but they provide a crucial niche for families that cannot transport children etc in cargo icycles. I think these would be where a solar car could really be a suitable platform given todays efficiency and design in solar panel and battery technologies. I am building a proof of concept vehicle, that is basically a :"cycle kart with 4x350W electric hubs, a 2 KW 48V Li battery and 200W of flexible solar panels. Estimate 30 -50km daily range without ever plugging in, extended to continuous driving under correct conditions (ie Australia, India, Africa etc. Love the channel! One of the very best on You Tube!!

[@emperorofpluto]

Informative and interesting, as always. I would definitely go for a solar vehicle once they go into production. Slower speed isn’t an issue, especially in the city - back in the 1980s used to drive a Mercedes 300D (diesel) which wasn’t exactly fast, had terrible acceleration and sounded like a tractor but it still got me from A to B.

[@beem6773]

I had a 200d w124 and it was dangerously slow. It could detect a hill that was nowhere to be seen. Such a stupid car. There was even a version with a 4 speed transmision, meaning it wasnt that economical.

[@jamesthompson3099]

This video really does give me hope. I currently own a battery electric car with a range of around 80 miles (130 KM) that is used for around the county driving. I've had it for 8 years now and I love it to bits. If an affordable one came out with enough solar capacity to make battery charging unnecessary for short to intermediate length trips I would be all over it. Thanks for feeding my dreams, Dagogo!

[@MrIsmilealot]

Me tooo my 2014 Leaf rocks !!!

[@rcpmac]

Aptera

[@a64738]

On my Ford Transit camper box van I have 1280w of solar power and it covers the entire roof that is 4 x 2 m large and even that is only enough to power a electric car for no more then a short drive after charging an entire day ... I have 5000w / hour battery bank and it takes about 7 hours to charge the battery bank under perfect conditions which is rare.

[@fasteddie31003]

Just buy solar panels for your house. You got a solar-powered car.

[@JoeOvercoat]

@@MrIsmilealotmy understanding is that there are more LEAFs out there than any other EV. Rock on!

[@philosopheering7540]

I preordered the Aptera a couple yrs ago. The efficiency is very impressive. Hoping they are a success.

[@darrennew8211]

It's very efficient because it is a motorcycle, not a car, so it doesn't have to have the same safety features an actual car has. Anything with fewer than four tires is a motorcycle. * Apparently it's an "autocycle" because it's enclosed with seatbelts. So there's a different set of safety standards, you don't need a helmet, etc. Good to know it's not just a dodge around making the thing heavy enough to be safe.

[@anthonyjaccard3694]

​@@darrennew8211maybe but it also has a fully enclosed cockpit, two side-by-side seats and a boot that can fit quite a bit more than any motorcycle. Also, when it comes to security, Aptera has been very clear that they made no sacrifices and the material they use is as good as any metal when it comes to protecting the passengers. They pride themselves on making "something that's sort of in between a car and a motorcycle" so if you want to come in with your half assed definition and discard them just because "if it has less than four wheels, it's a motorcycle not a car" go at it. They are probably too busy making a great vehicle to care about your opinion on what it should be called

[@huzcer]

@@darrennew8211 it's going to be tested against full government car automotive standards and has seatbelts and airbags so comparing it to a motorcycle is a bit of a disservice as a motorcycle has nothing like that and no outer shell. Quote " It’s as long as a Prius (172”) and as wide as a Tesla Model S (85”). The body is made from composites which makes it far stronger than steel oraluminum. It also has airbags in the steering wheel and the dash for the passenger and full three-point seat belts.The Aptera is designed like a formula one racer where the occupants are protected by a cage-like composite structure.

[@darrennew8211]

@@huzcer Good to hear they're following safety standards above and beyond what the USA requires. But it is technically a motorcycle. Huh. Apparently it's actually an "autocycle" because it's enclosed and has safety restraints. So you don't need a helmet, and there's all kinds of different safety standards. My bad.

[@darrennew8211]

@@anthonyjaccard3694 Well, it's good to hear they're putting in more safety stuff than required by law. I'll wait until it's actually in production and has been tested before buying one. 🙂 Also, being enclosed and with seatbelts apparently makes it an "autocycle" which I didn't know, so you (for example) don't need to wear helmets.

[@Low760]

Very cool. It's a great idea for a commuter vehicle, most people never use more than half the throttle pedal and the biggest selling vehicles in Australia are slow diesel twin cabs due to tax reasons with sole traders.

[@jamesTWisco]

Thank you for producing this and posting it. Very informative. I appreciate your artistry.

[@remelin75]

When the video started I became depressed and worried that you wouldn't narrate the video. I was so happy when you did! Your voice and music is soothing and a true pleasure to listen to. Thank you for your great work! I love every video you do!

[@victorbjorklund]

Same haha

[@JoeOvercoat]

He does have a fantastic voice and cadence. If this channel ever goes dark, I hope he moves to someone else’s.

Another great video! I just wanted to express my deep appreciation for the effort and creativity that goes into your KZbin channel. I'm extremely impressed with the high-quality production, and the music in your videos truly stand out. It is clear that a lot of thought and hard work is put into each and every video. Thank you for creating such informative and engaging content, and please keep up the excellent work.

[@apterachallenge]

I hope Lightyear succeeds, but to me Aptera is the real game changer. By going for ultimate efficiency and simplicity of design, they have made a vehicle that can be made at low cost in reasonable numbers. I'm hoping we will see cars going to customers in 2024.

[@aussieideasman8498]

Get your dictionary out and learn what real means. There is nothing real about Aptera when it comes to changing anything. If you could buy one, there isn't even a tyre to change, lol.

[@apterachallenge]

@@aussieideasman8498 There are 4+ million Teslas that don't carry a spare tyre. Next spurious objection, please.

[@raw.voltage]

i'm extremely excited for the Aptera

[@aussieideasman8498]

@@raw.voltage Settle down.

[@michaelnoble2432]

Aptera isn't even classified as a car, and would be a death-trap in an accident. To make matters even worse, it it actually quite large and not a nimble vehicle for use around town.

[@bookbagfox]

I would absolutely love to have one of those cars you described at the end. The speed limit in the UK maxes out at 70mph anyway so the top speed isn’t an issue, and not having to pay for petrol or maintain an engine would be fantastic.

[@tasos1112]

that would be an enormous waste of money, i'm afraid. the biggest problem with solar-powered cars is that (a) the solar panels are always flat and don't track the moving sun, (b) the farther away from the equator you are, the smaller the solar irradiance you receive, and (c) cloudy days are quite common in many places in the world and clouds reduce solar power output by as much as 90%. those three factors combined bring the expected solar power output averaged over a year and over the whole surface of the planet (assuming global adoption of this technology) of any solar car by about an order of magnitude compared to the absolute best-case scenario of the sun being directly overhead. that's about 0.1 kilowatts realistically compared to the theoretical maximum of roughly 1 kilowatt. to put this into perspective, just to overcome air drag you need about 0.6 kilowatts of power driving at a speed of 50 km/h that's typical of residential area speed limits. as for using solar panels to re-charge the batteries, consider that the solar panels will, on average, charge up to about 0.1 kilowatt x 10 hours = 1 kilowatt-hours per day. given that electric cars have an efficiency of roughly 0.2 kilowatt-hours per kilometer, that would limit your use to a measly 5 km or so per day if you want to be independent of charging stations. so, overall, unless you live in a country close to the equator that sees lots of sunlight year-round and use it for short distances and relatively slow moving of up to residential speed limits at the most, you'll be too dependent on the batteries and thus traditional charging methods.

[@zawarudo1041]

@@tasos1112 anything that saves you from recharging during longer commute is appreciated. UE is forcing cars to have repleaceable battery, it should by default enforce solar recharging system, because not having these on EV is just waste of space and resources

[@mia_djojowasito_malik]

This would have been amazing in a country just around the equator like Indonesia and the Jakarta traffic would have us stuck under the sun anyways. Cool cool Dutch creation haha. Thanks Dagogo, always love seeing videos from you~

[@Kolesha]

Ja toch

[@vintageexcellence]

Weren’t the Dutch the ones that destroyed Jakarta and now it sinks into the sea 😂 you could take it further and make it a Dutch oven in that heat 💨

[@NoOne-xd1gw]

No, EV is just a way where US try to take back automotive industry. US companies such as GE, Ford etc lose against Volkswagen and Toyota.

[@mia_djojowasito_malik]

@@NoOne-xd1gw my Dad is on the fence about electric cars because he doesn't like the idea of having to wait as a car charges, etc. (what if you're in a rush to get a meeting, or in an emergency situation? we'd be sitting around rest areas during road trips.) a hybrid, maybe. but this! and the Sun is always shining down here. if it can stay charged all the time that would be cool.

[@mia_djojowasito_malik]

@@vintageexcellence I'm not into the whole “punishing younger generations for what their Ancestors did” thing ✌🏼✌🏼 I'll let them prove they're good eggs

[@TheComicChild]

FREAKED OUT When I didn't hear Tagogo's voice in the intro. In answer to his question : Yes! I would have to finance to afford that $24,000 ~ $120,000 price tag. Very glad Aptera was mentioned! Sstill worried about universal charging stations that can handle higher grid loads, child labor for raw materials, repair costs & consequences of end-of-vehicle-life disposal/recycling.

[@aussieideasman8498]

I'm glad Aptera was mentioned. I have lots of video's on it.

[@codyrap95]

Dagogo*

[@PaulHarris22]

Thanks Dagogo another great vid! 😊 Yes I would definitely buy one especially as my needs are mostly local. Keep up the great work! 👍

[@markkirtlandaipumps8802]

You are amazing Deggo, great research, beautifully presented as always

[@AGFuzzyPancake]

A $30,000 hyper efficient electric car is almost exactly what I have been holding out for. Speed is barely a factor for me. When you said it went 90MPH or whatever the exact speed was, I was thinking "that's great!". It could have a max speed of 80MPH and a 0-60 speed of 15 seconds for all I care. I drive on flat and mostly empty country roads in rural Ohio. I just want an electric equivalent to my 2004 Camry, really.

[@filonin2]

The slowest 2004 Camry has a 9.6 second 0-60.

[@rdizzy1]

@@filonin2 The lightyear 0 was 0-62 mph in 10 seconds, almost identical. 0-62 in 10 seconds would mean it likely hit 60 in 9.8 or so.

[@andrasbiro3007]

Why do you need a hyper-efficient car with lot of sacrifices? Electricity is cheap and only getting cheaper. And acceleration is not just super fun, but also very useful in many situations.

[@mikee5809]

Apterra Based out if San Diego is making progress toward therir electric vehicle. Starting price is less than 30k.

[@rdizzy1]

@@andrasbiro3007 As more cars become electric, and the grid becomes more taxed, electricity prices will only go up, eventually reaching the same or even more as people spend on gas. (This is already almost the case in many electric cars, if you have to use public pay per kwh chargers)

[@lavishlalwani]

Awesome to see tech like this come this far.

[@LiTTLeDizZyUriNe]

right? its pretty cool

[@toyotaprius79]

Tech, yes . Crippled and Stunted by free market interests and dominance, definitely

[@vintageexcellence]

Amazing how animation and big claims make people feel so warm inside 😂

[@spraynardkruger6426]

​@@vintageexcellenceunreal. How can anyone think a small solar panel can power a car? The ignorance is depressing.

[@NLJeffEU]

​@@vintageexcellencebut those are real images?

[@JCdied4Uall]

Thanks again for another wonderful episode! I love your voice, style, and perspective!

[@HarshKumar-me6ds]

Loved it. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@WDSimp]

Top speed isn't really a big deal here in the US, where we have speed limits everywhere. If it's possible to get the acceleration up just a bit, then a car that can effectively charge itself and which you never have to buy gas for is going to be immensely popular. Though I think it's more likely that this sort of company will get purchased by one of the larger automakers before it ever reaches the point of mass adoption.

[@justrosy5]

Maybe, but hopefully it would be a purchaser who wouldn't completely ruin this whole idea. Corporations tend to screw everything up, almost as a default matter of course.

[@alfred9805]

Not happening in your country, oil & gas lobbying is too strong

[@Distress.]

Everyone here goes 80mph on the highway

[@ButterfatFarms]

All I'm hearing from you is pipe dream fantasies and conspiracy theories.

[@32BitJunkie]

The aptera solar car shown there has a 0 to 60 of 4 seconds and only costs $25k, not 40k. Idk how the other guys screwed this up

[@Kaleem-Ahmed]

Dear "Cold Fusion" team, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your KZbin channel. The content you produce on a variety of subjects, from innovative technologies to current affairs, is exceptional and highly valuable. Your dedication to providing insightful and high-quality content is truly commendable, and I genuinely enjoy and appreciate everything you create. Keep up the fantastic work! 🌟

[@silentblackhole]

Love your work man. (As an Aussie) It' so good to see you flying the flag for Australia with such great content!!

[@aussieideasman8498]

I just fly the flag for honesty.

[@someoneelse4492]

Excellent video, thanks. Yes I'd buy the solar car. The low maintenance and running costs make anything like that completely sensible.

[@tphan715]

Your channel might be my favorite on KZbin. Informative, entertaning, and thought-provoking all at the same time. Please keep doing what you're doing! As for the car? Absolutely would buy the Lightyear 2 if it ever makes it to the states. I live in Southern California, which sounds like the perfect location for it's use case

[@justrosy5]

Sounds like that thing could even function in Alaska (when the Sun's up, that is).

[@AnotherAnonymousMan]

This channel always smashes it. Another brilliant video on a fascinating subject! 👌👌👌

[@gjlite4947]

Here in NSW, the car sits in the drive for days, I travel 30kms to and from the supermarket and occasionally 100kms for medical appointments. It would be great to feed to the grid when not in use, and not be worried about range most days.

[@76ksubscribers]

This channel is priceless. Everyday New knowledge about new innovative, things around the world. Watching all the way from the Nagaland (extreme northeast part of India). Thank you COLDFusionTV. 🎉❤❤

[@KashifExplains]

I Always love to watch your finest works, it's the type of topic, you are the best!

[@iteerrex8166]

Musk said “Making the car was the easy part. Making the factory to make the car was 100 times harder.”

[@DanielQRT]

musk also said that he is a conman

[@gutluckbro9802]

@@DanielQRT who else owns a space company that can land orbital rockets

[@warpdrive9229]

​@@DanielQRTno conman says that

[@DanielQRT]

@@gutluckbro9802 a conman

[@DanielQRT]

@@warpdrive9229 because they don't want you to think that, it's just indirectly

[@genieb]

This is a brilliant development and I hope that technology converges quickly to make this principle go mainstream sooner rather than later. I would definitely buy a car that is slow but super efficient, solar charges etc. and as such is ultra cheap to run.

[@aubinkeravel367]

I would absolutely own one of Lightyear 2 for many reasons but I’m also reluctant for a couple others Pros : - platform is interesting as the car is bigger -> more solar panel surfaces - solar panels mitigate electricity volatility prices - 40k€ is affordable and comes very close to Tesla and other EU EV manufacturers - perovskites are a TOTAL game changer, EVEN if that means that we have to change them frequently with a subscription system Cons : - the biggest by far : repairability - the second biggest : network effect as a function of repairability to train mechanics on repairing as well as a big enough spare parts economy. -

[@andrewreynolds912]

I first heard and saw this car on the YT ch'annel fullycharged and omg ive fallen in love with the design sense because it carrys a less mass and smaller battery while being more aerodynamic efficient

[@chadakoin1]

Considering how much time most cars spend parked, they should come up with a foldable solar panel that could be extended to improve the charging capability when the car wasn't in motion.

[@emperorofpluto]

Like the ones they have for mobile phones.

[@alexpyattaev]

This is a much better plan because you can align the panel to the sun. In fact, RVs already do that to some extent.

[@Bertinator-nm9ld]

Or just traditional solar panels on rooftops, that you could hook up to as public charging... I don't see much benefit in installing the panels on the car directly. It just seems much more expensive, all around.

[@dwightjones3305]

Aptera plans to offer an accessory folding solar panel that fits inside the car and can deployed when you reach your destination. Details are sparse right now because they are putting all their efforts into making the car. I have made a deposit and look forward to using my Aptera.

[@alexpyattaev]

@@dwightjones3305 Let's hope you are not disappointed!

[@barbara-holley]

I have been OBSESSING over Aptera since I first heard about them about a year ago. What sets them apart is not only the range or even it being the MOST efficient car ever built, but that it comes in 6 main (ultra-durable) components making them easy to repair. Aptera had sustainability and the right to repair as a key intention when they produced this vehicle. I had a dream that I woke up in a Cracker Barrel parking lot full of Aptera's and I was so happy I almost cried lol.

[@aussieideasman8498]

Yep - you're dreaming! Feast yourself on over 50 video's I have made.

[@barbara-holley]

@@aussieideasman8498 I looked at your channel with the descriptions. I'm not clicking on someones channel who wants to make a living talking shit about a company that is simply ____trying______ to ________lessen ________ their environmental impact as much as humanely possible. Why would YOU focus. so. much. attention. on a company that isn't currently dumping oil into our oceans?

[@kyle19634]

The video itself is a 10/10. Kudos to the editing team

[@SteefJan95]

Having worked on the app of the Lightyear myself as a designer, it makes me sad to see them go down under. Thanks for the vid! 🙌🏻

[@samwiseknows]

They didn't move to Australia.

[@Tondadrd]

​@@samwiseknows They did, the competitions were in Australia. 2:38

[@samwiseknows]

@@Tondadrd 😂😂😂😂

[@CrusadeVoyager]

Yes will buy the car, solar power looks promising, All the best to LightYear and other Solar powered cars for the future. Hope they make it big :). Thank ColdFusion for covering this.

[@benjaminnead8557]

Oh Hell, yes! I was particularly attracted to the Sono Sion. That car would have been marvelous here in southern Arizona, USA, where we get around 300 days of clear, sunny weather annually. I've been driving a 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV for 8 years now and I'll never go back to fossil fuel transportation. At the very least, I will get my little EV trickle charged with a portable PV panel rig and LFP batteries in my upcoming retirement years. Not quite the same as being able to solar charge while moving, but the next best thing. Best wishes to all these forward looking companies for pushing the boundaries with their solar electric cars. One of them will break through someday. Very nice overview video on this topic.

[@Ready-Assets]

Man! I used to drive Reva i for years 😅 now in BMW i3 and i would love one of these. Great work.

[@hank9th]

I actually think an affordable plugin/solar hybrid could be a fantastic solution to the charging problem that faces electric cars in North American cities. Street parking is super common here, which means the main benefit of an electric car (charging at home) isn't an option for many people. An electric car that charges itself while sitting parked on the side of the road could be a killer feature.

[@LeAdri1du40]

100% agree, in all big cities

[@andrasbiro3007]

Wouldn't it be shaded by buildings most of the time?

[@kelstwin3176]

In my city, even at the heart of it, street parking is exposed to sun for long stretches of the day. Plus, most of the parking all over the area consists of parking lots that are very much exposed to sun. So, in a city like mine, with lots of apartment complexes, shopping centers, industrial and other business parks, etc. Drivers would definitely be soaking up a lot of solar energy. I do wonder about how hot the cabin gets- hopefully, some amount of window tinting would be standard.

[@lawrencefrost9063]

No. It's so dumb.

[@kayEnt3rtainm3nt]

​@@lawrencefrost9063Thank you for your solid and well-supported counter-argument (/s)

[@marnixsiekmans8259]

Greatly explained. It was on Dutch tv and some of the reasons were indeed high inflation and the production cost. Beyond this I noticed a marketing campaign that had theoretical claims but nothing from real-world tests. Lightyear also sold solar panels for the Tesla model 3 but did not market it.

[@JoeOvercoat]

My guess is if you put aftermarket solar panels on a Tesla, you have void the warranty for your Tesla. Tesla is very, very, aggressive about walling off their market space. Just look at all the lies they feed their customers, both of commission & omission.

[@mitchperry8535]

Brilliant, informative video. Cheers for making it

[@davidlevinson2460]

Excellent video, as always. I would be willing to take the plunge, even if the car was a little slower. The only issue I can see is if the car can be serviced if things go wrong. I live in the U.S., in Alabama so it may be a long time before we see mechanics willing to take this on.

[@ArsonistArborist]

Agreed. That’s what’s appealing about Aptera. They’re pro-right-to-repair and push for simple enough design that Joe-Schmoe can repair it

[@serinadelmar6012]

❤ such a delight to see this appear, thank you ColdFusion!

[@kohlekoffer3646]

Every other car companie be like: Write that down, write that down!

[@Indra-Ashura]

This comapny should find partners in India like Tata, Eicher Motors or Mahindra. India gets 300 days of sunshine and cars like this would be perfect for mega cities like Mumbai , Delhi, Chennai, etc and they could also provide solutions for city busses, trains and auto rickshaws . Moving manufacturing to India would also reduce the cost tremendously for everyone.

[@satoau1]

the problem is shown there at the end with the prius - "solar panel on the roof can add up to 4 miles of range per day." because of the additional weight it's only 4 miles on a good sunny day, and when it isn't sunny you're going to getting less range than if you didn't have the panel. the only way to solve all problems is stationary panels, either over roads or over walkways, and inductive charging from under the road. that's a massive undertaking but it's incremental. we have bigger batteries at first then as more and more parking bays have charging from beneath they get smaller, then we can charge while stopped at a traffic light, then one lane is the charging lane, and then finally nearly every road provides power as we drive above it.

[@lukedyck3170]

Dogogo, I would love to see a video about some of the challenges and barriers to solar efficiency as well as renewable energy solutions!! Your videos are so great keep up the amazing work

[@elertus]

You are a pleasant storyteller.! Since the beginning Aptera is where I had my reservation 🤞 It is planned to be our daily go to EV but being a sEV , here in near the sunniest place in the US ( AZ) . Since they are an “roadster- style ) autocycle and not an automobile I trust/ hope it will be a little easier to get to production. Less components ( lean manufacture ) , lighter weight and less requirements of the automotive industry can be the edge. With plans to crash test ( not required for class ) and publish results. I have a convention four-wheel five seat EV and ALL EVs are faster than I have ever needed. I am more about range. My two reserved ( AWD ) Apterae with 0-60mph (100k ) in 4 sec… is something that make “ those that care”… be impressed. Most of what Aptera offers and the company ethos ALL speak to me?!

[@ShihanQu]

Super excited about Aptera!

[@justrosy5]

What's needed is to utilize the less friction-efficient zones of the car for miniature, vertical wind turbines which can supplement the solar energy during non-Sunny days (or at night), both when it's at stand-still (when the atmospheric conditions are most likely to be conducive to it being windier around the car) and when it's in use. Something else they need to do is create different configurations for different purposes. The single-person, the two-person, and the 5-seat sedan sizes would be a real plus. Each still needs room for groceries, handicap apparatus, fluids for the car, a jumpstarter, and a folding or pop-out sunshade. Each also still needs a multi-size cup-holder and something to put a box of tissues in. A good addition would be a set of small hooks meant to hang small trash bags from. Each needs a locking glove box, and overhead light, and ceiling handle-bars. Including some sort of attachable shade-tent would be epic. Anyway, different configurations for different numbers of total people, from 1 to 5, would really help to make this more reasonable for people to put the money towards. No one wants to pay for excess space they're not actually using!

[@NeoThabo]

Nostalgia Dream is and will always be my jam. Nice one. ❤❤❤

[@abdulhakeem2641]

The biggest and fundamental problem with solar energy is energy density is less per square meter of area, over the top whatever the current materials we have are not offering that much efficiency in converting the solar to electrical energy. Also In a car we have limited floor space which can be used for solar panels, these are some of the biggest and uncontrollable variables, so I think instead of spending so much money on producing Solar powered cars we can work on increasing the efficiency of existing electric cars and increase the energy density of the battery being used in the car, and try other viable and more practical methods to harness the solar energy energy for e.g. making an affordable solar roof for homes, which we can use to charge the vehicle at home.

[@danyo6938]

This guy gets it 🧠

[@sasquatchkiddo3720]

I'm only worried about the oil industry trying to sabotage these developments -- however i personally would love a car like this. i don't drive very far for work, everything i need is around my town, i can use it as a local car and save my current one for the rare longer trip. this car costs about the same as what i paid for my current one so i'd def. buy one

[@dragonslayer0]

They can only delay it only until the oil reserves reach critically low levels

[@existentialcrisis9857]

Funny thing is those very same oil companies that greatly downplayed renewables greatly invested into them secretly, to make a profit later on. Greed is a poison.

[@tsuchan]

Why would they even be motivated to? Its already mandated in many countries that no more combustion engine cars may be sold after 2030-2040 (depending on country). Why would they care whether the non-combustion engine car is powered by solar, wind, hydrogen or cold fusion?

[@kevinfernandez9999]

​@@dragonslayer0people been saying oil will run out anytime now for decades now, but it never does and new reserves keep getting discovered

[@dragonslayer0]

@@kevinfernandez9999 it won't become zero... But consumption will be reduced many times compared to today

[@Pickles1864]

Would love to find out if you can use the car as a battery for house during power outages, etc. My commute to work is less then 2 miles a day and usually around 30 miles for longer trips like groceries or doctors which are once or so times a week so it would be net positive most the time and about break even for the week with bad weather.

[@ikoino]

Good to see. I put a down payment on the "camper" version of the Aptera. Hope they make it. I also pre-ordered the earlier version that failed. They hired an old-school CEO from Detroit. He wound up scrapping the pre-production design because its window was hard to order fast food at a drive through. After bankruptcy, the founders bought back the IP.

[@B0A2]

Glad you mentioned aptera I’ve been following them for awhile, I really really think that they could succeed they’ve been designing around advice given by industry leaders like sandy monroe that I think could push them over the edge

[@puffinjuice]

I was super excited when I watched the fully charged show on the light year. Light year built what every EV car should be. The light year is a role model! It saddens me that the company is now bankrupt. I think they were ahead of their time!

[@Quicksilver-7791]

Did you watch the video...

[@johnmicheal3547]

No future if you are dead now.

[@HKSAR55]

Thanks for another amazing presentaion! This car would be great for cities like HK as it always sunny and small enough to drive everywhere.

[@fakename1656]

I would take one of these for sure. Fits all my needs and driving style

[@CarolinaAutos]

I live in Las Vegas and commute 20 miles round trip per day. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat, especially if I could feed the unused power back into the grid when it's just parked out baking in the sun here

[@aleksandarrudic3694]

Feeding a unused power back to the grid is not that simple. Solar panels produce low voltage direct current, while grid works on a higher-voltage alternating current, 60 Hz in US, 50 Hz in the rest of the world. To be able to use the solar power in your home or sell it to the grid, you need an inverter to turn DC into AC, and a transformer to adjust the voltage. That equipment is usually not very cheap - in Europe, it's almost the same as covering your entire house in solar panels, it's not prohibitively expensive of course but when you are already investing in it, it makes sense to invest in panels also, to cover your roof fully in panels, and deal away with electricity bill completely and permanently, and likely have enough left for charging your conventional battery-powered EV.

[@aleksandarrudic3694]

P.S. A solar car that charges itself on parking would actually make a lot of sense here in Europe, especially in my case as I live in a city, in an apartment, and I can rarely hope I'll find an empty parking lot on the same side of the street where my apartment is, let alone be able to plug a cable somewhere to charge it overnight, but I understand that you guys in the US mostly live in large single houses with plenty of space.

[@PeteOHair]

I don't think 0-60 in 10s or top speed of ~100 mi/h is a problem at all. I have recently completed the trip in older RV with 0-60 in 20ish seconds and my acceleration from stand-still on lights was on par of more lively than that of a most drivers. What is interesting is that people "sleeping" on lights make up for theirs slow starts by speeding later just to overtake the old clunker… Great take on the subject, very educational. Thank you!

[@stephencoles5991]

0-60 in 10 seconds is comparable to that of a Gasoline powered Toyota Yaris. It's not performance car fast, but quite normal in the real world.

[@ShihanQu]

Not a problem at all if you get an aptera solar vehicle instead

[@Victor-kv4jt]

My daily driver does 13 secs to 100. It's bad but it's honestly not an issue 90% of the time

[@Studeb]

The specs were really impressive, how often do you need to reach 100km/h in less than ten seconds, and how often do you drive faster than 160km/h? These are that were almost impressive with a normal petrol car when i grew up in the 80s.

[@Sci-Fi_Fan296]

This was awesome Degogo. Sorry if I misspelled your name since I'm only going by what I heard you say it was. I would absolutely consider a solar powered car as a backup or my commuting car.

[@kevrev0]

Tbh, it seems like the best option is to just have your standard electric car with some cheap, light solar capabilities to augment its range. The solar panels on the car is probably never going to be as efficient as a large scale solar farm or even rooftop solar, since you have to drive it around with you, so it will definitely be very expensive and inefficient

[@kappps8795]

I was going to comment exactly this. Why put advanced, much more complicated and expensive solar panels on a car when you could instead add the same amount of energy production on a farm and just let the panels sit there passively generating power instead of carrying the power production around literally everywhere you drive. Whatever extra cost of installing these panels on the body of a car could much better be spent adding panels to anywhere else like we already regularly do.

[@xX1Mankrik3Xx]

Now I'm picturing the ultimate "green energy" vehicle. Self-adjusting rotating satellite solar panels on the roof, and a turbine in the middle of the front hood for wind power.

[@LeAdri1du40]

@@xX1Mankrik3Xx That would be stupid, you increase drag and loose efficiency much more than you produce energy, you're thinking of a perpetual motion machine which breaks the laws of physics

[@xX1Mankrik3Xx]

@@LeAdri1du40 I put "green energy" in quotes because it was a gag idea. Definitely not something that would produce good results haha. 😅

[@RonakDhakan]

You know which electric vehicle has unlimited range without solar panels or charging or batteries? Trains.

[@dockerdave]

It's a great idea and, on the surface, would be perfect for someone like me who drives less than 20km on most days from where I live in Scarborough to where I work in Osborne Park and back... BUT my car is kept in a garage at home and in undercover parking at work so is only exposed to the sun for very short bursts. This sort of car would be good for someone who keeps it outdoors when not using it, but I'm not so sure it would be particularly useful for the many people who now have their car out of the sun most of the time.

[@davidbarker7091]

This is the future, and context is everything. Speed is one thing, but just getting one from point A to B is all that really matters and just the impact and advantages that come as a result the speed trade off is completely worth it.

[@SolAce-nw2hf]

What actually happened is that Lightyear cut it's losses on the 0 as soon as they saw the enormous waiting list for the Lightyear 2. The Lightyear 0 had served it's purpose by proving that it works and the invested manhours and outsourced production for such a limited series were never going to break even. In my opinion they were wise to focus on the Lightyear 2, which can be designed for mass production instead of a small series. Personally I want my next car to have solar panels. Even if I have to charge sometimes, it will take away a lot of stress of getting stranded with an empty battery. Worst case I will park it somewhere, call a taxi and pick it up as soon as the charge gets me to where i need to be. It also solves my problem of limited roof space for solar on the house, as it charges itself on any parking space without shade and even while driving. No home batteries needed, less waiting at public chargers and absolute freedom to go anywhere at any time. The idea of making it as light as possible is also great. Less air resistance and less weight mean more range from the solar cells. Most EV's are now so heavy that most energy goes into moving the car, not the passengers and cargo. So yes, i will buy a Lightyear 2, even if it is significantly over the projected cost.

[@hazelnuts23]

I thought Degogo left the channel and someone else took over

[@mia_djojowasito_malik]

Me toooooo 😭😭 except i thought he hired some voice actor

[@Iamthestig42069]

That 3 wheel thing makes the most sense. 3 wheelers are considered motorcycles so you don’t need to worry about crash regulations. This allows more focus on advancing the technology to the point where it can go to a regular car

[@MichaelGGarry]

Until you get in a crash and you die.

[@geniustic1541]

Yet another much informative video! I won't get a solar car if its slow as my forever car, reason being, I have a need for speed! However it'll be great to live with for a few days.

[@FelipeVerdugodaSilva]

Knowing about companies like this one going under really breaks my heart : (

[@tengkualiff]

There will be a Sun Tax. Mark my words!

[@gerhav1]

60km is great, when I lived in Tauranga NZ, I lived in a great spot, I could travel from home to work, to the Post Office, Supermarket and home again and the round trip was little over 6km. Which would mean I would have 55km worth of power to feed to the grid each day for most of the year. I would love to get.

[@loftsatsympaticodotc]

Go Aptera, Go GO, GO... . We reserved THREE. What a great concept AND car. Over 90% of cars in traffic have ONLY one or 2 people in them! So who needs more weight and space? I analyzed our cooperate transport needs. Almost invariably we went somewhere alone OR picked up one other person, worker, or customer, or acquaintance to gosomewhere, almost ALWAYS witiin less than half of the Apteras range! So why does everyone get on board and send $$s to Aptera? ... We did !

[@jazzychazzy007]

Very Cool, but what about strong winds? Can the car hold the road? Sorry if that is a silly question.

[@EggBastion]

I don't think it's light weight is gonna make blow it away in the wind unless the weather starts getting way more gnarly... which, hey - that's not happening though right

[@brandonbeck4794]

Now that EV tech has finally become mainstream, efficiency is the next big frontier. This pursuit is exciting to watch. Especially if we one day hit the gains needed in both driving effi iency and solar efficiency to hit a 1:1 ratio on consumption vs production. Personally, I probably won't end up buying a car with solar panels because i like parking my car indoors. Luckily i have solar panels on my roof to charge the car and i'll probably stick to that method. But I would love to see cars with smaller lighter batteries due to these efficiency gains.

[@argh_666]

EVs are below 5% of all cars on the road and they are not in demand contrary to what Elon would say. Check the data before you eat up BS about EVs becoming mainstream

[@matts8416]

@@argh_666 it'll be mainstream with enough propaganda around it. As long as the solar power isn't tied to a subscription or cloud service where they can turn off your car remotely, I am for this.

[@antonmaier2263]

I strongly disagree with this video. Efficiency WAS the key to make BEVs possible. Tesla had record breakind cw-value for a reason. The whole premise of the video is wrong and thats also the reason why that company went bust. The car has ridiculously big wheels which dont fit together the big steps in efficiency they would need for a "solar"-car. They funneld the money.

[@gmv0553]

Yes and that is why I have a reservation for an Aptera and I have invested in their mission!

[@johnstephens6052]

Yes, I would gladly buy one! Excellent content, thanks...

[@Aufklaerung_Christentum]

You wouldn't have to develop a new car, but a retrofit kit for e-cars, a kind of solar film that you could simply stick on the roof and then connect to the battery. That would be cool.

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Nope. The mass, weight, aero of any current e-car means thats not a possibilty not even even slightly. As it says at the end, solar on the new Prius may add all of 4 miles a day (and thats probably in Arizona, and then you'd need more than that amount of wattage to cool the car down because its been parked in the baking sun all day. If it was as simple as slapping some film on dont you think everyone and his dog would have done it by now?

[@Aufklaerung_Christentum]

@@Joe-lb8qn Of course you can't drive every day for free with the relatively small area on the roof, but 5 km x 30 days = 150 km per month - this is just about the idea. It would be better if you could apply a photovoltaic-paint. The entire paint would then produce electricity. 🙂

[@Joe-lb8qn]

@@Aufklaerung_Christentum now remove the AC needed to cool the car, account for the paint damage for the car being left in blazing sun all day , the extr cost and complexity and reflect that 150km is maybe 20 minutes charge whilst you are doing something and you get an idea why people haven't been slapping this on cars from day one. If you think it's so easy why have to date every single manufacturer failed to do this simple thing?

[@thewiirocks]

Not going to work. The Lightyear is threading the needle on the numbers in a way that no other car can accomplish. If you add panels to an existing EV, you'll just make it heavier and more expensive to drive with very little ROI from the solar power.

[@KitelessRex]

Would absolutely get a slow solar car and I currently drive an EV that can do 0-100kmh in well under 4 seconds. Keeping a very close eye on Aptera and really hope they make it. Great video as always!

[@darrennew8211]

Aptera isn't a car. It's a motorcycle. Anything with fewer than four tires is a motorcycle, so they don't have to add the weight of all the safety features of a car.

[@Pyriold]

@@darrennew8211 While low weight is obviously good for range, it's challenging to make such cars safe. For me that's a problem.

[@KitelessRex]

@@darrennew8211 I'm well aware of what the Aptera is classified as, especially in my own state. :) But given that it has seats, a steering wheel, a wind shield, doors, keeps me dry in the rain, things like that, I consider it a car. Cheers.

[@darrennew8211]

@@KitelessRex Yeah. I was coming at it from "we call it a motorcycle because that way we don't need all that heavy safety equipment like air bags and roll bars." It's a pretty standard EV dodge trading safety for mileage. However, I'm told it's actually classified as an "autocycle" because it's enclosed and has seatbelts and such, so you don't have to wear a helmet. I guess legislators figured it out and came up with an appropriate set of safety standards after all.

[@darrennew8211]

@@Pyriold However, I'm told it's actually classified as an "autocycle" because it's enclosed and has seatbelts and such, so you don't have to wear a helmet. I guess legislators figured it out and came up with an appropriate set of safety standards after all.

[@deanchur]

I got in touch with the company last year after I saw a video about the One, asking when they'll be bringing it to Australia and if so, can I help them do it (it's a pretty easy sell; 500km of range in non-optimal conditions and a sunny country with high electricity prices). The $250k pricetag would need to have the 2 removed for it to REALLY make a splash though, which is what I believe they were/are trying to achieve with the Two.

[@dreejz]

Great stuff, unfortunately the whole squad who built the cars accidentally shot themselves in the back 18 times and drove into a lake

[@sebytro]

Technology has come so far in the past 5 years. It's breath taking to see how this is evolving, from year to year.

[@naupoleon3d]

such a freaking nice channel!!

[@DataChiller]

in sunny south EU - range of 60 km is perfectly fine. Wish the project and the team all the very best in these uncharted territories.

[@wingsandstache]

A bit more on Eindhoven: Recently, the team has stopped attending the world solar challenge as they found it was too easy. Most recently, they built a solar camper. - A member of the University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project

[@Mowmer]

Imagine spending 300k for a car that has a range of 360-mile range that the majority of the time you'll still need to plug in, lol. That's insane, just buy a Tesla and buy a home solar panel setup for hundreds of thousands of dollars less to charge your Tesla. They went bankrupt because their business model was crap.

[@tomr6955]

This is an EV I can get behind. Less batteries/weight Charges itself rather than wasting unused sunlight Everything about it makes sense, nothing like the current EVs

[@ulrichraymond8372]

Countries in the tropics will definitely buy the premium version given the savings and the profit potential in hooking up to the grid. It would be interesting to see of larger vehicles like ambulances or buses with this concept.

[@shotelco]

As both an BEV and PHEV owner for the past 12 years, there is no need for such bizarre (although well meaning) car technology. With my rooftop Solar, a 18Kw DIY home battery system, and the PHEV/BEV's we have, over the past 10 years we have reduced our family emissions by about 93%. It's ridiculous to think that fossil fuel use will _Ever go away,_ and more absurd to demand it go away. The key is to _Dramatically Reduce_ it's use. The problem with these never-ending click-bait/sensational stories about FUTURE technology, is that it lulls us humans into *"waiting for the "perfect" solution."* All while consuming more and more and more fossil fuels. We have all the technology we need *_right now_* for each of us to make a minimum 75% reduction in fossil fuel consumption _Without_ any sacrifice of convenience, or any extra capital expenditure. Sorry Dagogo, this particular presentations isn't doing us a favor.

[@artsmith103]

I also have residential solar, HEV, PHEV. Generally agree with you but think large stationary batteries are a waste. 20-50% deduction is very doable with better economics. Solar cars are mostly clickbait. Where they almost work, $20K limited use is better.

[@shotelco]

@@artsmith103 Please explain a little more about "large stationary batteries" being a waste, better economics, and "$20K limited use". If you mean a large home battery, what is the alternative when one over-produces energy in a grid-tied system? I'm thinking what you're saying about "better economics" is suggesting more efficient energy usage? We recently added ductless mini-split as a replacement for Central HVAC. Here, we are just heating/cooling the rooms that we are in at the time, vs. heating/cooling an entire home (and the empty rooms we are not in). This alone reduced energy consumption by almost 40% - which in-turn created the massive solar energy over production - which in turn was a justification for storing that over produced energy. My other peeve is all-electric vehicles. Perhaps its because people (and really Americans in particular) are intellectually lazy, we do not compute the way we actually utilize our personal auto transportation. 90% of all driving, for 80% of all Americans is daily commuting of 50 miles or less. A 50 mile-range PHEV solves this...then for the fairly rare time a vehicle is driven beyond the all-electric range, just use petrol. No need whatsoever for $trillions in "public charging stations".

[@artsmith103]

@@shotelco I also just installed mini-split for 1st AC luxury and we heat with it during shoulder season rather than wood stove. Batteries are exceptional when the load is clearly defined to match. Similar to your PHEV explanation. Batteries increase PV elec cost/kWh some 30% or more so can ruin investment. Just spin meter backwards, no storage inefficiency.

[@artsmith103]

@@shotelco $20K limited use I meant the metro/suburban commuters that have good range vs use batteries. Often smaller 3 wheels, and easier to park.