ImpactAlpha, March 16 — Lightyear is going to market with Lightyear One, a self-charging electric vehicle with built-in solar cells that was featured at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Lightyear One can reach about 440 miles on a fully charged battery, according to the Netherlands-based company.
The financing round, led by Swiss investment fund Zero Point Holding B.V., “will help us accelerate towards the first deliveries at the end of the year,” says Lightyear’s Lex Hoefsloot.
Price parity
Electric vehicles are nearing (or already past) competitive pricing with comparable internal-combustion cars. That is spurring investor interest in charging networks, fleet management and battery tech (see, “EV charging-infrastructure finance emerges”).
OBE Power raised $300,000 in December to build electric vehicle charging stations in Miami. Envoy secured $11 million in November to improve access to electric vehicles in California. Motive snagged $15 million to convert trucks to electric vehicles.
