Lightyear One - from solar racer to commercial product

[RedDevil]

Lightyear signed a deal for production of the Lightyear One with Valmet in Finland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdlzGwqHeEA

Valmet has built almost 2 million cars and has experience with building EVs since 2010.
This greatly enhances the probability that the Lightyear One will be produced without too many delays and teething problems.

[jakobnev]

Let's just hope they don't order the batteries from A123 systems.

[aerohead]

1) I scaled Lightyear's blueprint to the photon-table contour collection.
2) Lightyear happens to be an exact match to the 2013 template.
3) Lightyear is also very close to the 1930s Koenig-Kamm, segmented half-body K-form wind tunnel model at the FKFS.
4) Lightyear is also very close to Paul Jaray's 100-year-old half-body, Cd 0.13.
5) Extrapolating Lightyear's tail out to its conclusion produces a long-tail version of 257.15-inches length.
6) 61.64% aft-body.
7) Ichtyoid.

[Xist]

Right! The Template! You guys remember the Template!

When was the last time that someone used the Template tool to compare their car (or did it themselves?

I have just been trying to keep my cars running for about the last 4 years.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Xist

Right! The Template! You guys remember the Template!

When was the last time that someone used the Template tool to compare their car (or did it themselves?

I have just been trying to keep my cars running for about the last 4 years.

Vekke used it recently, in connection with the Cd 0.1716 Mercedes-Benz EQXX, ( not his car! ).
EV range anxiety and bragging rights for longest range have apparently relaxed the 'law of the Paris dressmaker' enough now, to allow some designers to finally reach into the 100-year-old bag of aero tricks.
Presently, there are three automotive journalists in the world, who actually understand aerodynamics. That's three more than none. I'll take it.

[Vekke]

I have overlays in my computer on most aerodynamic car releases in the near history. almost all low drag cars under 0,22 territory. Most of them are pretty good matches for some reason. Little variation comes from headroom in the rear seats or design decisions to make car work or look different than a bubble. In that sense the EQXX is a masterpiece, it does not look like a template car compared to the ligthyear.

[RedDevil]

The Lightyear One prototype did some high speed testing in Italy:
https://electrek.co/2022/01/28/light...al-conditions/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUwumpCM7n0&t=158s

Consuming only 141 Wh/km at 130 km/h (85 mph) it gets a range of over 400 km from a 60 kWh battery pack. When overcast and cold(ish). At 85 mph. Not bad.

[aerohead]

From the photograph, the EQXX best fits Wolfgang Klemperer's Cd 0.15, 1922 half-body contour.
At about the rear 1/4-window, the roofline falls below the contour, deepening to perhaps a 35mm gap, then by the trailing edge, it's back onto the contour, creating a captured separation bubble ( in the Fachsenfeld schematic convention ).

[alexshock]

Specs were presented:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLQfH_RVCKQ

Main takeaway: 70 km a day from a solar charge (tested in Spain).

[Rcnesneg]

Originally Posted by alexshock

Specs were presented:
Main takeaway: 70 km a day from a solar charge (tested in Spain).

I wonder how their solar system works? Do they have individual cells or is it one giant cell of some sort? This confuses me since it looks like a continuous piece.