Man Attempts to Travel Around the World in Solar-Powered Car
One man’s quest to travel around the world in a car without using a drop of gas is coming to a close over a year after it began. Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer has been driving his three-wheeled Solartaxi since last July. So far, he’s logged 27,000 miles and 28 countries.
The $5,000 Solartaxi was built for Palmer by Q-Cells, a German solar company. Zebra Battery provided the adventurer with two 250-pound rechargeable batteries— each valued at $15,000. The batteries store energy from the solar panels, as well as energy from the electric outlets that Palmer plugs the vehicle into every evening.
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The car’s solar panels provide about 60 miles of power on a sunny day, but the added energy from electrical outlets allows the Solartaxi to travel 200 miles without recharging. Any road trip veteran can tell you that 200 miles a day makes for a slow trip— but speed isn’t really part of Palmer’s agenda.
Palmer, who is currently in Washington DC, plans to stop at the World Climate Change Conference in Poland before taking the Solartaxi home in December. And Palmer’s solar-powered driving ambitions won’t stop then. He’s already planning an 80-day solar-powered race around the world next year.
The Solartaxi isn’t headed for mass production any time soon, and solar panels probably won’t be a major source of energy for cars in the future. But Palmer’s venture proves that we can wean ourselves off petroleum— it just takes a little ingenuity.
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Man Attempts to Travel Around the World in Solar-Powered Car | nerdd.net…
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The US could have had this years ago, but the big car companies would SQUASH that effort. Our government run by the Oil lobbyists wanted us dependent on oil for decades. It’s only since the prices have gone up and pressure is being put on the government that we MIGHT have some change. That of course depends upon who we elect. McCain seems to want to keep our dependence on oil in place. DRILL, DRILL, DRILL
There’s absolutely no reason for continuing to promote gasoline powered vehicles when the technology is there to build eco-friendly engines. People everywhere unite and strive to make your next vehicle a non-gasoline powered one!!! Think of the impact it will have on the future of our planet and generations to come !!!
I love the last sentences….”The Solartaxi isn’t headed for mass production any time soon, and solar panels probably won’t be a major source of energy for cars in the future.” Uh… why? If he’s doing this in a non-mass production vehicle for $35,000 and someone is implying that this isn’t a feasible idea?. I’m in Maui right now and gas is $4.60 and up…what better place for a solar car than here. Most trips here by car are under 60 miles easy. Wish we had more people who can think that idiots like McCain promoting drilling for oil.
Give me a break: a country that can put a man into space using hydrogen power, and, that has cornered the market on edible panties, can’t manufacture a car that can run without gas?? Please! However, let’s share the blame. We are all oil sluts. It takes oil to make plastic bags, yet how many of you reading this take your own bags to the store. How many of you buy bottled water in plastic bottles that go into the landfill? How many of you ride a bike for recreation but take your car to the store? We all need to shoulder a portion of the blame, and, get off our butts. There’s lots of ways to protest, and, reduce, the use of petroleum, but, for pete’s sake, the sun and wind are free. Hmmmmmmmmm! Maybe that’s part of the problem. Short-sighted auto manufacturers haven’t yet figured a way to make money from something free. Idiots.
As someone who has for ten years sponsored solar-powered race cars built and operated by college students, I’m familiar with the technology involved; however, this is NOT the technology which will ultimately meet America’s transportation needs. Why then do students build and race the cars? Mainly as an exercise in applying engineering principles and to practice group teamwork. At present a competitive solar-powered race car costs round $200,000, and some have cost several times more than that.
I realize this is a test however, wouldn’t it be more realistic to have a car with 4 wheels and have the solar panels some how attached to the car. Maybe built into the body? Also I think what you are trying to do is great. Keep it up, we can always use new and fresh technology. Personally I believe that every building should have some type of solar collector powering our homes and places we work. Any overages would go back into the power stations for use in other areas that need power. In times when power grids go down for some reason the solar collectors would take over and we would never be out of power for any great length of time. Just an opinion!!
I am sure this type of vehicle is the most appropriate transportation in the Philippines, in as much as the sunshine is very much available in a year round. If the materials can be manufactured at low cost in the Philippines on a joint venture it is possible.Metro-Manila area is so much covered with pollution from internal combustion engines coming from public transport which utilized more on used diesel engine from Japan. The idea of bringing the technology to the Philippines can ease the pollution problem and can help our government to reduce the cost of importation of oil. It will definitely conserve our currency for other projects and development of the provincial areas and degongest Metro-Manila of densely-populated people of over 12 million.
May this be an opener for us Filipino people to work on the real technology that our future generations will have to gain.
Regarding John’s post at 12:40 pm, solar racing cars do have the solar cells built into the car. The portion of the car which contains the cells is called the “array,” and can be easily detached for stationary charging of the solar cells. A competitive solar racing car weights only 400-500 pounds, including the weight of the on board battery pack, but not including the weight of the driver. Under ideal conditions one of these cars can manage 100 mph. Some teams favor a three-wheeled vehicle while others prefer a four-wheeled vehicle. A four-wheeled vehicle has better stability, but it has more rolling fractional resistance, due to the fourth wheel. Drive is direct, through an electric motor built into a wheel.
Hello, im Bronson, i would like to say good job!! keep up the good work!! thank you!!