Solar Vehicles: Innovative Transportation Designs Powered By The Sun (PHOTOS)

From The Daily Green's Jim Motavalli:

Everybody likes the idea of solar-powered vehicles, but it's easier to imagine as science fiction than it is to make real. But when an airplane recently took a 24-hour solar-powered flight - and landed safely - it got everyone fired up again. So here's a look at various forms of transportation driven by the sun - none of them ready for commercialization just yet. But the dreaming is getting closer to reality.

See how recycling cans can trump the car you drive when it comes to the 12 most effective ways to reduce your oil consumption.

1 of 6

Solar Powered Cars

1 of 7

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

The 11th semi-annual World Solar Challenge (first run in 1987) takes place in Australia next October, and it's a cross-country race for whimsical solar vehicles that are like giant solar panels with wheels. There's a sporadic U.S. version, too, the American Solar Challenge (run last June), and it's a great challenge for college teams and other contenders to get something across the finish line. In production cars, solar can run the cigarette lighter or something equally undemanding. You can get a panel on the Toyota Prius (America's most fuel-efficient car, at least until electric cars hit the road later this year) as part of the Solar Sunroof Package (it keeps the interior cool). Toyota's Wade Hoyt told The Daily Green that only 15.4% have ordered that option since the 2010 Prius was introduced in May of 2009. The upcoming Fisker Karma, a high-performance electric sports car akin to the Chevrolet Volt, also has a rooftop solar panel from U.S. Quantum, designed to produce about 130 watts and, like the Prius, run a fan to cool the interior (and replenish an on-board battery). Check out these electric cars you can buy now. (Photo: World Solar Challenge)

Pet Health: Expensive Vet Bills Can Be Avoided With These Preventative Tips (PHOTOS)

Groundhog Day 2012: 5 Ways To Celebrate

Seaboard Corporation Pig Treatment Challenged By Humane Society Investigation (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Predictions Over The Last 10 Years

Reuse Jeans: 9 Creative DIY Uses For Old Pants

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2012 Introduces 6 New Breeds (PHOTOS)

The 11th semi-annual World Solar Challenge (first run in 1987) takes place in Australia next October, and it's a cross-country race for whimsical solar vehicles that are like giant solar panels with wheels. There's a sporadic U.S. version, too, the American Solar Challenge (run last June), and it's a great challenge for college teams and other contenders to get something across the finish line.

In production cars, solar can run the cigarette lighter or something equally undemanding. You can get a panel on the Toyota Prius (America's most fuel-efficient car, at least until electric cars hit the road later this year) as part of the Solar Sunroof Package (it keeps the interior cool). Toyota's Wade Hoyt told The Daily Green that only 15.4% have ordered that option since the 2010 Prius was introduced in May of 2009.

The upcoming Fisker Karma, a high-performance electric sports car akin to the Chevrolet Volt, also has a rooftop solar panel from U.S. Quantum, designed to produce about 130 watts and, like the Prius, run a fan to cool the interior (and replenish an on-board battery).

Check out these electric cars you can buy now. (Photo: World Solar Challenge)

comments(34)

Total comments: 34 | Post a Comment

1 of 7

This Solar Vehicle

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Kinda Shady Bright Idea

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Top 5 Solar Vehicles

loading...

Top 5 Solar Vehicles

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[Kenz300]

09:48 AM on 08/16/2010

Renewable power is farther along in some countries than others.

Leading the way:

% of power

Iceland 29.8%

Denmark 28.6%

Portugal 21.6 %

Brazil 7.9%

U.S. 4.3% --- The US needs an energy policy that promotes sustainabl­e alternativ­e energy.

[Kenz300]

09:45 AM on 08/16/2010

This year automakers will reveal a host of electric vehicles.

Let the transition begin!

It is time to support the transition to alternativ­e, sustainabl­e energy.

Wind, solar, biofuels and electric vehicles all need our support.

Let's produce local distribute­d energy and provide local jobs.

[jcschaef]

02:20 PM on 08/14/2010

Today's solar cars won't replace SUVs or even ordinary passenger cars right away, but they offer lessons that we can adopt today to make transporta­tion more sustainabl­e.

We used to say there's not enough area on a car to provide the energy necessary. But we now know that there is if the car doesn't use much energy.

I urge readers to google the xof1 solar car that now holds the distance record for a pure solar vehicle, more than 36,000 km. It has also travelled the famed ice road in northern Canada and crossed North America several times.

Xof1 has demonstrat­ed a maximum range of 300 miles on a sunny day. It consumes less than 25 Wh per mile (less than a twelfth what my own lead sled uses) and accelerate­s zero to 50 mph in six seconds.

The most important lesson xof1 organizer Marcelo da Luz notes is that people can attain their dreams and help the planet at the same time. Other, more obvious lessons are the successes possible with light weight vehicles, good batteries, proper aerodynami­cs, and willingnes­s to rely on people's good will.

[PamelaSeymour]

09:20 AM on 08/14/2010

Solar energy is great (if you live in a sunny country), but I wonder how much of our actual energy needs can be covered by solar and wind (i.e. renewable) energy sources. Does anyone know more about this?

[Erik Van Erne]

02:14 AM on 08/14/2010

Great, but missing lot's of solar powerd innovation­s like the Cargohoppe­r fully powerd by solar for city distributi­on http://bit­.ly/cEF3Jq

[Bernd Rickert]

08:09 PM on 08/13/2010

The solar plane record results mostly in good wind systems during the night. The swiss hangglider record is something about +- 23 hours soaring along a moutain chain. Unfortunat­ly the hangglider pilot has had no solar panels on the flight and not so much money for global marketing.

[m1jones]

04:50 PM on 08/13/2010

Hey, George Lucas, when did R2D2 start wearing aviator glasses?

[research]

02:26 PM on 08/13/2010

Solar on board vehicles is unlikely to be enough to power them. a car might have 3 meters at most of available area, with state of the art panels, that could produce about 1200 watts. less than 2 hp.

I use solar panels in cars and tractors that sit for long periods of time to kep the batteries charged.

that and cooling fans are reasonable uses.

Rooftops are where solar panels belong.

Save money, cut the deficit, employ everyone, cut energy dependence­:

Immediatel­y order energy retrofits for all gov buildings.

Rooftop PV Solar, Offshore wind, and Waste Bio char, can supply the worlds energy and fuel needs: cleanly, safely, Forever, within 12 years and cheaper in the long run 2-6 cents now, and 26$ per barrel bio oils.

http://www­.ecobusine­sslinks.co­m/solar_pa­nels.htm
about 1$ per Wp solar panels, new.

install solar plants for about $1.30 per watt, compared with an industry average of about $1.75, according to Hardy." http://www­.bloomberg­.com/apps/­news?pid=2­0602099&si­d=a7K1FZoN­gJ0w

Wind: “between two and six cents today, depending on location.1­2 Wind power approaches competitiv­eness with convention­al generation at this price point. “

http://www­.repp.org/­articles/s­tatic/1/bi­naries/win­d%20issue%2­0brief_FIN­AL.pdf

http://www­.css.corne­ll.edu/fac­ulty/lehma­nn/publ/Bi­ofBioproBi­oref%203,%2054­7-562,%202­009%20Lair­d.pdf

26$ per barrel bio oil from waste bio char.

[sloreader]

02:57 PM on 08/15/2010

Know anything about solar roof tiles instead of cumbersome panels? If they work they could be installed whenever a composite shingle roof gets replaced. A tax credit could bring the cost into line with simply replacing your roof.

[research]

04:08 PM on 08/15/2010

There are self adhesive flexible solar panels for about 1$ per w for a house sized purchase. Glue them down and seal with silicone in between. search around. start with the links I provided.

[pandisal]

01:29 PM on 08/13/2010

I love to have this solar car but, where do I put my grocery bags in there?

[futate01]

01:28 PM on 08/13/2010

It would be so easy to make a self sufficient solar powered train, especially in the US. All you would have to do is lay solar panels between the tracks. If you laid thousands of miles of "solar tracks" they would create more than enough energy to power all the trains in the US. The tracks themselves could also be the mode for transporti­ng the electricit­y everywhere along the tracks, and if the tracks run from the west to the east coast than the "effect of night time" would be three hours shorter since there is a three hour "short" between the sunset in the west and the rise in the east.

This would work with current technology and would be CHEAPER in the long term, but America has lost all its common sense. I mean look at the insanity that comes out most American's mouths, so this is never going to happen here. But you will see this in China, the Middle East, or Europe soon. America is toast.

[M Derange]

12:41 PM on 08/13/2010

bunch of whiners commenting­, wah i won't buy it, wah i don't like it... give me a break, it's a start towards something else more practical and economical in the future, and don't worry, you can still keep your big dumb SUV's for now.

[flashblitzen]

12:28 PM on 08/13/2010

Solar power I think will have it's place for some point of use things but why do we keep trying to use it for everything­. We won't be running my house with it because it's worth more than my whole house right now. It may be good for emergency roadside gear or providing electrolys­is for making hydrogen or desaliniza­tion of salt water. Let it find it's own place. Think biomimicry­. How do plants use the sun? That's how I see solar helping us, not cars like this.

[M Derange]

12:34 PM on 08/13/2010

the good thing zbout science is that it progresses­.

[jsgaetano]

12:25 PM on 08/13/2010

Conservati­ves say something can't be done... while Liberals go out and get things done.

[flashblitzen]

12:22 PM on 08/13/2010

Although I think we are making some progress, maybe we should simply rethink the hows and why's behind transporta­tion. Maybe hydrogen fueling stations for mass transit VTOL's are more the way to go. Is undergroun­d trucking out of the question? I want to see more done with the least efficient vehicles first. There may be a betteer way to get shipped goods around that we haven't thought of.

[NGotwalt]

11:56 AM on 08/13/2010

The solar powered train is dumb. In large parts of the world trains are electric, receiving their power from overhead lines. You don't need a solar powered train, you just need a regular electric train plugged into a solar power plant like one of the plants they're building California­.

[futate01]

01:32 PM on 08/13/2010

you are not very sharp are you. Read my post above.