Solar Cars

Cars of the Future – Solar Powered Cars

There was a lot of hype about solar power a few years ago. Many solar networks went online across the United States, offering inexpensive power that was also “clean,” meaning that it creates no harmful emissions and relies on nothing more than the Sun. These fields of solar cells became incredibly popular for their addition to the local energy supply and some people even grew to enjoy their eerie beauty.

It quickly became obvious that current solar cells do not produce enough power from the sunlight that they are exposed to. Hundreds of acres of solar cells are needed to generate the same amount of power as a single Coal-fired combustion plant, and if you ever had a cloudy day the power produced dropped dramatically.

How They Work

Did you know that the internal compound within solar cells are grown and not produced? Much the same way that plant cells absorb and transform the energy delivered by the Sun, solar cells create an electric charge from the sunlight.

From there, the electric charge will either travel to batteries or straight to the electric grid, depending on the application’s design. So long as the Sun is shining, the solar cells will continue to produce a respectable amount of power.

Solar Cells for Automobiles

Given the nature of automobiles, it only makes sense to try to find alternative power options to reduce our dependence on gasoline, diesel and propane. Along with reducing emissions and preserving fossil fuels, alternative power sources can also lower the operating costs of a vehicle across its lifetime.

A vehicle that is run on solar power, for example, will use electric motors to convert an electric current that is generated by the solar cells into thrust. Place solar cells on a vehicle, attach them to an electric motor, and voila, you’ve created an electric car.

However, the solar cells that are used for automobiles are still unable to generate a large amount of power. This results in anemic performance from the vehicle, a limited range, and a lack of dependability for the user, if the sun has not shone in a while, you may be finding yourself stranded without a way home.

Regardless of the drawbacks, solar cell powered vehicles are becoming more appealing as innovations in solar power continue to develop better, more efficient solar cells.