Solar EVs on the way from Arval and Lightyear

General Guides  Partnership 

Gateway2Lease funding partner, Arval, has pre-ordered 10,000 Lightyear 2 models, the first mass-market vehicle from the electric car manufacturer.

The leasing giant has backed the Dutch car maker, which built the world's first solar-power passenger car with the Lightyear 0.

Now, with the Lightyear 2 set to be the company's first mainstream model, the accessible EV will be available through Arval, which has accounted for almost half of the Lightyear 2's 21,000 pre-order bank.

Rather than a basic order, Arval and Lightyear have entered a partnership that will expand from its European roots to an international market.

As Arval continues to focus on sustainable mobility, Lightyear 2 vehicles will play a key part in an increasingly electrified fleet.

Alain van Groenendael, Chairman and CEO of Arval, said: “Lightyear's technology is proven, affordable, and environmentally friendly, making a great addition to our fleet.

“Our ambition is to lease 700,000 electrified vehicles as part of our global fleet by 2025, and we look forward to welcoming 10,000 Lightyear 2 cars, that help us to reach that goal and more importantly, further support our customers with an optimal solution that answers their energy transition needs and the infrastructure challenge in Europe.”

With solar panels on the roof and bonnet, the Lightyear 2 is able to top-up its battery on the go or when parked. This allows the Lightyear 2 to cover more than 500 miles on a charge.

Lightyear calculates that the 2 will need charging around three times less than comparable electric rivals, but has committed to an OTR of less than 40,000 euros (£35,000).

Arval UK Managing Director, Lakshmi Moorthy, said: “This solar powered electric vehicle comes to the UK market at the right time, when our customers have already adopted around 30,000 electric vehicles. Its range extending technology and affordable price will further accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility for fleets and individuals alike.”

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