Lightyear wanted to reinvent the wheel

When it comes to Lightyear, I’ve always felt I was missing something. What’s the added value of solar panels on a car? When the sun is out, you can drive a few kilometers for free. But the roof of your house fits a lot more panels, taking you quite a bit farther. Of course, a solar car can be recharged anywhere, but even under ideal conditions, the overall range extension is rather limited. Is that something people will be excited about when charging stations become plentiful and dozens of car manufacturers flood the market with cheap and comfortable ‘ordinary’ electric cars?

There’s no denying that Lightyear generated a lot of infectious enthusiasm. When a bunch of young guns with a lust for entrepreneurship set to do what cynical journalists and experts say is impossible, it’s hard not to root for them. In retrospect, however, it might have been better if there had been more pushback.