Maybe Icarus should've taken a car instead.
The tragic figure made a name for himself in Greek mythology after he flew too close to the sun and his homemade set of wings fell apart.
But now several companies are looking up to the star at the center of the solar system as a way to power electric vehicles.
'Limited Applicability, Some Potential...'
The issue of charging EVs recently took a serious turn when California officials asked electric-vehicle owners to limit when they plug in their electric vehicles to avoid taxing an already-strapped power grid.
The request came days after the Golden State said that it would require all new cars, pickups and SUVs to be electric- or hydrogen-powered by 2035.
So are solar-powered cars a bright idea?
Giorgio Rizzoni, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State University, said that this "is not a new idea, and it has limited applicability but some potential."
"In our world of large SUVs and trucks, I am not so sure that there is a lot of potential for solar power for cars," he said.
Nevertheless, a number of companies are letting the sun shine in.
'Built for Grid Independence'
Lightyear, which is developing a long-range hybrid solar-powered car, said on Sept. 6 that it had raised about $80.3 million. The Dutch startup said the funds will ensure the production targets of Lightyear 0 and steer development for Lightyear 2.
"Our cars are built for grid independence, charging from the sun or, if needed, a regular household socket," the company said on its website. "Every trip is clean, convenient and independent, powered by the journey itself."
Lightyear said it would make 946 units of the 0, which will each start at about $263,000.
Production is slated to begin in the fall with the first cars reaching their drivers in November.
Lightyear’s next model is designed for high volume production at a starting price point of about $30,000. Production is set for late next year or early 2025.
'No Charging for Most Daily Use'
Another company, San Diego-based Aptera, is working on.a two-seat, three-wheeled passenger vehicle that it says "requires no charging for most daily use."
The company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had more than 18,000 reservations for its solar electric vehicle and that it would need at least $50 million "to reach the vehicle production stage."
The original company, Aptera Motors Inc., was founded in 2005 and liquidated in 2011. The company was reformed in 2019 by the original founders, Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro, as Aptera Motors Corp.
And Sono Motors of Munich said it was working on the solar electric car Sono Sion, which will feature solar cells embedded in the in the plastic body panels on both the roof and the sides.
The company said on Sept. 1 that it had reached 20,000 reservations for the Sion with production planned for the second of half of 2023.
