NXP to support Lightyear’s efforts to reach a mass market with solar – and autonomous – vehicles

Lightyear and NXP Semiconductors are partners since 2013. The collaboration is intensified with several new initiatives, the car company states in a press release. “We are one step closer to not only bringing the first solar electric vehicle on the road but also to implement full autonomous driving capabilities to our future cars.”

With NXP Semiconductors’ chips, Lightyear expects to be able to develop prototypes faster and shorten the time-to-market significantly for both Lightyear One and the future high-volume series of Lightyear. With the help of this partnership, solar mobility can be brought to the masses faster, while also further exploring the autonomous driving capabilities.

While the NXP Semiconductors technology will be present in everything, from the battery management system, the driver-vehicle interface, the vehicle control unit, the solar converters, to the motor interface unit, the partnership will also cover the high-volume series, set to be released in 2024/2025, following the limited, exclusive series, which will be released in the summer of 2022. “NXP’s leading technology enables us to significantly reduce our development time, and at the same time ensure top-level quality chip technology”, says Lex Hoefsloot, co-founder and CEO of Lightyear.

Compas

NXP Semiconductors and Lightyear are also collaborating on a project named COMPAS, which is a European ITEA3 subsidy program. The program will enable the company to develop digital twins, like its Vehicle Performance Model. This will be like a real-time digital representation of a Lightyear car. With the help of COMPAS, Lightyear can simulate durability during the design phase, which will significantly shorten the development phase and the number of iterations for the vehicle.

“Lightyear is pushing the boundaries of sustainable mobility, and we are excited to join on their journey to realize clean mobility”, says Maurice Geraets, Executive Director NXP Semiconductors Netherlands B.V.