Call of the Future: The Solar Car
Now all you have to do to get this car running is to leave it under the sun.
With all the pain in the neck gas prices are bringing, wouldn’t it be nice to have a cae that didn’t need to be filled up at the gas station? Of course you’ll always have to concern yourself with seeing that all parts like Mercedes valve cover are in good shape – but that’s all – because this car won’t need fuel. Enter the Solar Car.
A solar car is an electric vehicle powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car. Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert the sun’s energy directly into electrical energy.
Just like a gas tank stores gasoline in a car, solar cells on the flat part of the car turn sunlight into electricity, where a battery in the car stores the electricity. Compared to normal cars this one doesn’t make any noise - only a quiet hum. It doesn’t make any smoke or bad smells either. Nice, isn’t it?
And like normal cars, solar cars can also go racing. Yes indeed, such events are often sponsored by government agencies such as the United States Department of Energy, who are keen to promote the development of alternative energy technology (such as solar cells).
The question arises as to whether, if battery electric vehicles become popular, it will be worthwhile fitting them with solar cells to extend their range and allowing recharge while parked anywhere in the sun.
With the present engineering considerations however, it seems that the best place for solar cells will generally be on the roofs of buildings, where they are always exposed to the sky.
