Wind tunnel tests have demonstrated that the Lightyear 0 is the world’s most aerodynamic production car, according to Lightyear.
Tests conducted in the FKFS wind tunnels in Stuttgart, Germany, under WLTP protocols confirmed a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.175 for the solar-assisted electric car, Lightyear announced on Thursday in a press release.
This figure places the Lightyear 0 ahead of the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S, and Mercedes-Benz EQS, all with 0.20 to 0.21. However, each of them is much larger than the Lightyear 0 and likely to be produced in higher volumes. Lightyear has stated that it plans to sell only 150 cars (priced at around $260,000 each), with a “high-volume” model to follow.
Nevertheless, Lightyear’s claim is an impressive achievement even for a low-volume production car.
The Mercedes EQXX achieves only 0.17, but it is not limited to production. The concept is a showcase of ideas to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles and completed a 746-mile real-world run from Stuttgart to Silverstone, England, on a single charge, with plenty of energy to spare for some victory laps.
Launched in 2013, the Volkswagen XL1 achieved a 0.189 Cd. The slim coupe used a plug-in hybrid diesel propulsion system that seemed like a good idea in the days before the VW emissions scandal and was actually produced in very limited quantities. Only 200 were sold out of a planned series of 250 cars exclusively for the European market, where the Lightyear 0 will also be available.
The General Motors EV1 production had a Cd of 0.195, but this was achieved with a rather impractical two-door body. The EV1 was not a high-volume car either. GM built 1,117 and leased them to customers in California and a handful of other locations. Most were taken off the market and destroyed after California changed its zero-emission vehicle laws, allowing the EV1 to be phased out without the threat of sanctions.
The EV1, XL1, EQXX, and now the Lightyear 0 have demonstrated that reducing resistance requires a radically different shape from conventional cars. Does that make sedans obsolete? At the very least, designers and engineers aiming to create a three-box sedan with cutting-edge aerodynamics face some tough challenges.
