Solar cells, solar cars and everything solar related post here

[Gingerbread Demon]

Right now here in Australia we have had the bi-anual solar car race from Darwin all the way to Adelaide. It's a great event to put the focus on solar technology and the cars in the race get really good road speeds too like 100kmh on some parts of the road.

But it makes me wonder why electric car companies are not putting some kind of solar panel or such on the body of their car to help charge the cells?

When will this kind of thing ever happen?

 

[Santaman]

Those solar cars are small and extremely light so they have a tiny engine which means that the solar arrays they have are enough to power them around, normal cars weigh around 1200/1400KG when they've got a small battery hybrid system even helping to charge a system like that would need solar pannels far larger than the car, electric cars are even worse, they're very heavy and thus powerful engines, there is no way that a solar array can charge a system like that while fitting onto the car.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Those solar cars are small and extremely light so they have a tiny engine which means that the solar arrays they have are enough to power them around, normal cars weigh around 1200/1400KG when they've got a small battery hybrid system even helping to charge a system like that would need solar pannels far larger than the car, electric cars are even worse, they're very heavy and thus powerful engines, there is no way that a solar array can charge a system like that while fitting onto the car.

I believe the cars in the race also have batteries which are being charged.

Maybe we need to invent more durable lighter materials to make full size solar cars which hey anything is possible I think

 

[Christopher]

It seems to me that a more sensible thing in the long term would be to put solar-powered electric-car charging stations in parking lots all over the country, powered by solar arrays that shade the parking spaces. Maybe have a charging plug in every space, though that seems excessive. (Could there be a way to do it through wireless induction, just by parking in the space?)

 

[Santaman]

Everything more "exotic" than steel would drive up the cost for a vehicle a lot, can we already do this, yes of course carbon fiber etc are possible, but the price is to high for normal vehicles.

@Christopher
Yes, it would be more convenient to have the energy collected and stored at many places, in Norway every parking garage has charging stations for examples, it would also be more convenient to have the power come from solar farms and of course windfarms instead of panels on the vehicle, distribution is a big problem for a lot of countries, net congestion is a real ugly thing.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Everything more "exotic" than steel would drive up the cost for a vehicle a lot, can we already do this, yes of course carbon fiber etc are possible, but the price is to high for normal vehicles.

Carbon Fiber in regular cars already exist, they're just at the "Premium End" of cars.

Imagine owning a car that is 6-figures US$, for a Regular Sedan, because those are the "Advantages" of Carbon Fiber everything.

PRO(s):
- Lighter Weight
- Safer in a Crash.

CON(s):
- MUCH More Expensive compared to Steel

There's a very good reason why most top of the line Sports Cars have "Carbon Fiber" in nearly every structural part.
It just comes at a HUGE financial cost.