First Solar Powered Car
After a post a few weeks ago about the potential for solar energy playing a role in vehicle locomotion, Solar Electrical Vehicles was brought to my attention. They produce a solar-assist with a battery pack that claims to allow the car to run up to 20 miles per day on solar power.
I might be misreading their literature because the calculations don't seem to add up. I suspect this involves very specific circumstances that aren't generally achievable in normal driving patterns but regardless of claims, the reality is advances in solar technology and energy storage will most surely support this type of capability in normal driving patterns at some point in the future.
It's interesting to note Toyota will incorporate solar panels into the next generation Prius to offload some of the power requirements for the electrical system. While that won't directly improve engine efficiency, it does reduce the alternator load and that will improve mileage efficiency by some amount.
I might be misreading their literature because the calculations don't seem to add up. I suspect this involves very specific circumstances that aren't generally achievable in normal driving patterns but regardless of claims, the reality is advances in solar technology and energy storage will most surely support this type of capability in normal driving patterns at some point in the future.
It's interesting to note Toyota will incorporate solar panels into the next generation Prius to offload some of the power requirements for the electrical system. While that won't directly improve engine efficiency, it does reduce the alternator load and that will improve mileage efficiency by some amount.
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