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| Three versions of the slightly affordable solar cars from Dutch start-up Squad Mobility. |
DUTCH startup, Squad Mobility , have added a second solar-powered “car” alongside the Dutch Lightyear sedan, but to spartan Squad’s price and cladding are aimed at salaried workers.
The Lightyear One is expected to sell for over R2,4 million (€149 000) when it is produced in 2021, while the founders of Squad Mobility — Robert Hoevers and Chris Klok — plan to sell their electric carts for less than R100 000.
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| The Lightyear One sedan costs 25 times more than the Squad cart. |
The money buys what is basically a electric, two-seat golf cart with rear-wheel drive and a solar power system than can potentially meet all the driver’s “refueling” needs.
Seat belts, a roll-cage and an optional 243-litre trunk in back helped the 2-m-long Squad to meet the homologation requirements of Europe’s light quadricycle category, with also require its top speed to be limited to 45 km/h.
Power comes from two small motors totalling four kW in the rear wheels and two removable lithium-ion batteries that provide roughly 100 km of range per charge.
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| The Squad Solar costs about twice what a new electric golf car sells for, but is a faster and a bit safer. |
“Our solar-electric Squad can charge up to 9 000 km per year in a sunny country with its own solar roof, making it completely emission-free for most users driving 30 km or one hour per day for 300 days a year in an urban environment,” said Hoevers in a statement.
“Most vehicles in this segment don’t drive more than 6 000 km.
The Squad can plug in to charge, with removable batteries making for easy swapping. An extra battery sells for about R25 000. Like the Lightyear company, Squad Mobility plans to start selling units in 2021, but drivers who want to stop driving fossil fuel cars earlier, can sign up for a €100/month (about R1650/m) lease from next year.
The Lighyear One is meanwhile being marketed in the U.S. with a prototype touring San Francisco. Time Magazine listed the Lightyear One “one of the Best Inventions of 2019”.
