Solar Power and Cars

Today, everyone is aware of our dependence on fossil fuels and the negative impact they have on the environment. To cut down on such sources, there was a need to develop renewable sources of energy. Solar power was one of the alternatives to energy and pollution crises. Cars being one of the major sources of air pollution, there was a need to find out how solar power could power cars, and the challenges involved in building solar power cars.

Solar power cars were once thought as the things of the future, and that future is now. The concept of solar power and cars is a viable concept and there are many solar powered cars running in various countries, though not in commercial quantities, to prove the point. Solar power cars today are not in a position to completely do away with the cars running on conventional fossil fuels, and may not do so for a number of years, but they do supplement the conventional cars by saving fossil fuels and the environment.

The Benefits and Drawbacks

Today, the solar cells on cars are large, designed to collect the maximum solar energy to get the desired efficiency. They are presently being used on racing cars. For commercial applications, solar cells need to be much smaller, sacrificing speed for efficiency. Running solely on solar power, the solar power cars are great for short commute around town. These cars have batteries for storage of solar power for use when solar power is not available.

Though not available for the general public at the moment, there are many solar powered cars under development with many manufactures. The major benefit of solar powered cars is that there is no hassle of gasoline and its ever rising costs. The major drawback, at present, is the speed constraint and the need to regularly replenish the solar power. Batteries are not large enough to store enough solar power to get you through the night and during cloudy days.

Solar power cars will immediately take care of your gasoline expenses – there won’t be any! Such cars will reduce our dependence on the non-renewable fossil fuels and play a very big part in reducing global warming and air pollution.

Today, we look at college students building their solar powered cars to race them across the country. The day is not far when we will have them in commercial quantities through nationwide dealerships. In the last nineteen years, since1987, when the World Solar Challenge invited young engineers to develop a sustainable solar powered car, by 2005, solar powered cars have reached speeds in excess of 100 Km/h.

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