A Dutch company has unveiled the world's first mass-produced solar-powered car

"Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they are dependent on the grid⁴, which is still dependent on mostly fossil fuel energy," Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Lex Hoefsloot said at the reveal of the $263,000 Lightyear 0 model. "Adding a new source, the sun, adds certainty that you will always have that charge and you will have to charge a lot less often."

According to Lightyear the optimized⁵ solar roof and holistic⁶ design mean that the car can drive for weeks, even months, without charging. In cloudy climates, based on the average commute⁷ of around 35 kilometers per day, the car can drive for up to two months before needing to be charged. In sunnier countries, that could be up to seven months. Plugged into a regular home socket⁸, Lightyear 0 can still charge 32 kilometers of range per hour.

In fall Lightyear will start-up production, with the first cars reaching their drivers in November.