Lightyear says that the Lightyear 0 is the most aerodynamic car in the world.
Lightyear said in a press release that the solar-assisted electric car had a 0.175 coefficient of drag.
The Lightyear 0 is 0.25 to 0.21 ahead of the others. The Lightyear 0 will likely be produced in higher volumes. Lightyear will only sell 150 cars, with a high-volume model to follow.
Light year zero.
Lightyear’s claim is an impressive achievement for a low volume car.
The Mercedes is not production bound. The concept is a showcase of ideas to improve EV efficiency, and did a real-world range run of 746 miles from Stuttgart to Silverstone, England, on a single charge.
The Volkswagen XL1 achieved a 0.189cd. It seemed like a good idea in the days before the VW emissions scandal to use a plug-in hybrid diesel engine in the slim car. Only 200 of the 250 cars planned for the European market were sold.
Light year zero.
It was possible to achieve a Cd of 0.195 with a two-door body shell. The EV1 was not a high volume car. GM leased 1,117 of them to customers in California and a few other places. After California changed its zero emission vehicle laws, most were recalled and destroyed.
It has been shown that cutting drag requires a different shape to conventional cars. Is that bad for sedans? Designers and engineers are trying to make a three-box sedan with leading-edge aero.