The competition is heating up for the next World Solar Challenge to be held in the dusty terrain of the Australian outback. This time, a team from Stanford University will be sending in their Apogee, a slick carbon-fiber solar racing vehicle designed for just one occupant with a drag coefficient of 0.12.
Soon this car will be taking its place among some of the most innovative and intriguing solar vehicles made across the world. The time of a new solar vehicle is not too far away on the horizon.
Imagine pulling a solar car out of the driveway, supercharged with solar energy reserves and ready to go. Motoring down the highway, the car soaks in sunlight and converts it into electrical energy that powers the vehicle.
Solar Cars Entering the Mass Market
Solar vehicles, first figments of the imagination popularized in sci-fi movies and books, have now forayed into popular culture. First used as demonstration vehicles and experiments in engineering, solar cars are now entering the mass market. The solar energy industry is undergoing massive transformation.
In France, the Venturi AstroLab, a luxurious electric-solar hybrid was launched in 2006. The first vehicle to be completely free of any fossil fuels, this car can recharge in motion and reaches top speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour and can hold up to two passengers.
How A Solar Car Works
A solar car has hundreds of photovoltaic (PV) cells in a solar array that convert sunlight directly into electricity. The PV cells are made of silicon and other semiconductor materials. When sunlight hits the PV cells, the electrons get excited, creating an electrical current.
The solar arrays are mounted on to the car in a horizontal, vertical, or adjustable format. The electricity is stored in batteries, which power electric motors to turn the wheels of the car. Batteries can be lithium ion, lithium polymer, nickel cadmium, lead-acid, or nickel-metal hydrides.
World Races and Solar Challenges
Most solar vehicles up till the last few years were designed only for one person and often positioned for racing, with typical features of regular cars such as turn signals, accelerators, and brakes. Two of the most popular solar races are World Solar Challenge where participants race across the Australian continent and the North American Solar Challenge.
In 2007, Hymotion and other Canadian companies added solar cells to an existing Toyota Prius, offering 240 watts of electrical power in bright sunlight. Toyota is developing a new solar vehicle for launch in 2010 with mounted solar panels on the roof.
Louis Palmer toured the world in a Solartaxi from 2007 to 2008, using Zebra batteries that can travel up to 120 miles without recharging. Palmer's vehicle covered more than 50,000 km in a year and a half over 40 countries around the world.
Transportation around the world is changing, adapting to pressures from increasing world populations and scarcity of resources. Finding renewable energy sources such as solar energy to power vehicles has grown more important.
Solar energy provides an abundant and renewable source of energy. As companies and individuals experiment and innovate with new solar technologies, new products and vehicles are being created that provide the same functions consumers demand without polluting the environment.
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