Dang, if only I hadn’t spent my last $750,000, I could buy myself a really cool solar car. Who knew that with a bit of cash I might have been able to drive almost 2000 miles at 75 miles an hour with using any gas. I guess I’ll have to wait until I get another $750,000 to try out this beauty.

solar-power-car

A car totally powered by solar power is years away. It may never happen at all.

But a French car maker Venturi has already produced an all-electric solar hybrid, with roof-mounted solar panels that help power the electric engine.

Unfortunately, Venturi’s vehicle only has a range of around 30 miles and a top speed of 30mph. But of course, it’s a concept car – exploring the world which may be yet to come.

As things stand, solar power is nowhere near reaching the requisite power. An all-solar car would need an impractically large surface area completely covered in solar panels. Solar cells have hitherto been designed for stationary installations and positioned in areas like sloping roofs on buildings or in wide open flat or south-sloping areas for industrial applications etc.

So cars are a very different proposition. Nevertheless, there are already solar enhancements for cars. Some hybrid cars, including the Toyota Prius, already come with the option of a pre-installed solar roof panel.

Also, a Californian company has developed a recharging system for hybrid vehicles which runs completely on solar power. The system uses a solar panel fitted to the roof of the car as well as a supplementary battery pack. The sun’s energy charges both the supplementary battery and the hybrid’s own battery pack, thus allowing extended driving range when the car is in electric mode.

At the moment, hybrid cars remain the most practical option for the kinds of eco cars UK drivers are interested in. But it might change over time. Already, all-electric cars are becoming more realistic as service stations begin to install charging stations.

Also the rapid advances in motoring solar technology as exemplified by the bi-annual World Solar Challenge solar-powered car race from Darwin to Adelaide are a small flavour of what might be yet to come.

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• The Many Benefits Of Solar Energy (frommyexperience.com)
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• The Energy of Natural Disasters (digitalbusstop.com)