Lightyear One
Power Solar
Range 450 miles
Available 2021
Reservations £3,600, lightyear.one

We talk a lot about how ‘clean’ electric cars are and how much better they are for the environment, because they have zero emissions. But, of course, an EV is only as clean as the electricity you use to charge it. What they cleverly do is shift the source of the pollution they create from their tailpipes to the power station – out of sight, out of mind. So, imagine a car that generates some of the power it needs as it travels. Step forward the new Lightyear One – possibly the world’s first solar-powered car that might actually make it to the consumer market.

At the moment it is still a prototype, but prospective buyers can reserve one of 1,000 vehicles that are being built for release in 2021 – that privilege will cost you £3,600. If you want one of the first 100 cars, you’ll have to pay £107,000. The firm started in the Netherlands in 2016 and was created by Lex Hoefsloot with the express aim of ‘getting the most out of every ray of sunshine’. The car can be charged by plugging directly into regular outlets, but the roof and hood are comprised of integrated solar cells encased in safety glass so strong an adult can walk on them. These boost the range and the sustainabilty of the car massively. Shine on!

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166