Comments on: eVe — Solar-Powered Car That Looks And Functions Similar To A Regular Car

By: Adam Grant

Adam Grant — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 18:37:00 +0000

The significance of this is that it can actually be worthwhile to put solar panels on the roof of an EV to help charge the batteries. An EV will be lighter than an internal combustion vehicle moving the same load, although probably a great deal heavier than the test vehicle used here, so most of the energy will come from the grid. The panels will probably pay themselves off pretty fast, though, and could significantly increase the range between charging stations.

By: MrEnergyCzar

MrEnergyCzar — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 03:34:00 +0000

That car’s solar could probably produce 8-10 miles a day for a street legal electric car or plug-in. The converted solar plug-in prius’s battery gets about 5-8 miles on a fully sunny 8 hour day…. those panels were put on that prius conversion a few years back though.

MrEnergyCzar

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 03:22:00 +0000

Batteries?

By: Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 01:28:00 +0000

44% efficiency requires hundreds to thousands of times concentration of sunlight. Expect efficiency to be under 30%.

By: Cowboyleland

Cowboyleland — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:35:00 +0000

Wouldn’t it be great if the driver could contribute a little energy by peddling instead of just being a very heavy guidance system?

By: Marion Meads

Marion Meads — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:37:00 +0000

If they are using the world record solar cell with solar radiation conversion efficiency of 44.7%. They can cover the car with such panel occupying 9 m2. For an average perpendicular sunshine hours of 5 hrs/day, that means the car can obtain 20 kWh per day. If it is very aerodynamic, the range could be 4 miles/kWH for Tesla to 12.5 miles/kWh for the now extinct Aptera. Let us assume, that the car is aerodynamic enough at 10 miles/kWH, that could mean traveling 200 miles per day on solar power alone. But it could be a $250,000 car in the cost of the world’s most efficient solar PV alone.

By: Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 14:19:00 +0000

How many kilowatt hours a day under good conditions can it accumulate? What range (at say 30mile per hour) would it give it? Does it use ultra pricey Galium Arsinide or multijunction panels?