The car industry is on the eve of a major change. Investing in sustainable mobility, such as e-mobility, is vital if Europe is to continue to participate. However, our analysis of the German e-mobility market alone shows that this is not yet the case. Eindhoven software company Sioux wants to change this quickly.
With an investment – including the purchase of a car – and support in software development, Sioux has entered into a partnership with Lightyear. “At Sioux, we embrace the innovative ideas of Lightyear,” says Gerben Hilboldt, responsible for the automotive branch at Sioux. “Lightyear is going to turn the automotive industry upside down.”
The car industry is on the eve of a major change, according to Sioux. The Lightyear solar car offers a disruptive solution. This electric family car, the Lightyear One, can charge itself while driving. “This means that clean mobility is no longer dependent on charging stations.”
“The success of e-mobility was until now inextricably linked to smart grid development, given that the network of charging points is a prerequisite for the adaptation of large-scale electric driving,” says Hilboldt. “Lightyear is re-thinking about this by using another inexhaustible source of energy: the sun. The solar energy can charge the car directly, which removes the dependency on charging stations. This means driving on solar energy free of charge, especially in a summer like the one we are experiencing in the Netherlands.”
“The solar energy can charge the car directly, which removes the dependency on charging stations.”
Lightyear is now ready for a major next step, the production of the car. To this end, a new production hall on the Automotive Campus in Helmond is currently being finalized. The first ten prototypes are to come from there by 2020. Lex Hoefsloot, CEO Lightyear: “The concepts and designs have been worked out, and the first investments have been made. The next step is execution towards production. Sioux supports us widely in software development. They have a wealth of experience in the automotive industry and help us with the implementation of our car. Actually helping to build the Lightyear One is also testimony to an unprecedented confidence in our mission: to make electric mobility accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
Main photo: Gerben Hilboldt (Sioux) and Lex Hoefsloot (Lightyear)
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