39. The EV You’ll Never Have To Charge
Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss the Lightyear One, a solar-powered electric vehicle designed for extreme efficiency to minimize charging needs, and the Czinger 21C, a hypercar built using 3D printing and generative design to break manufacturing norms. They analyze Lightyear's strategy of reducing battery size and optimizing aerodynamics to achieve a drag coefficient under 0.2, while noting the practical limitations of solar charging in urban environments. The conversation then shifts to Czinger's use of custom aluminum alloys, titanium, and Inconel printed nodes connected by carbon fiber tubes, highlighting how this approach bypasses the high costs of traditional casting and allows for complex geometries that beat established lap records.