Chinese Company Unveils Solar-Powered Car for $5,560
The Zhejiang 001 Group has produced a tiny car powered entirely by the solar panels on its roof.
The panels can charge the battery enough for a 3-mile trip in just one hour. After a full charge of 30 hours in the sun, the car can travel up to 90 miles.
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The vehicle was debuted at the 29th Zhejiang International Bicycles and Electric-powered Cars Exhibition last week. The panels are not integrated into the car’s design, but rather stand above the car much like a typical roof-rack attachment.
According to the company, the panels can absorb up to 95 percent of solar energy, but can only transform 14 to 17 percent to electricity.
Roof panels aside, the car is nearly identical to China’s popular economy vehicle, the Cherry QQ, which is pictured above. Only ten of the solar cars have been manufactured so far, but more production is planned. Unfortunately, you won’t have much luck finding one outside of China.
Photo Credit: Anuradha on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
The next generation of transport is coming on leaps and bounds! - Seems every third shout I get is about electric cars, scooters, bikes, and now solar cars!
Cause for smiles. :o)
“According to the company, the panels can absorb up to 95 percent of solar energy, but can only transform 14 to 17 percent to electricity.”
A) If it was really absorbing 95% of the light (which is also the heat) the solar panel would be cold and frost up on a humid day. It would become a heat sink.
B) If was absorbing 95% of the light (photons), why is the conversion SO inefficient?
C) Until solar/hybrid/battery cars LOOK like “normal” cars in the US, there will be no real acceptance of them. This looks like a toy. The Prius succeeds commercially because its efficient and it looks like a car “should” look like.
See also: Zaap electric cars.
Ask yourself this: Price aside, would you be more likely to drive this solar go-cart or a Chevy Volt?
Well just don’t eat it…its probably full of melamine.
Great for every city in the world.
You should read the last Thomas l. Friedman book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded.
Wow. It must be great to live in a capitalist nation with such an entrepenourial spirit. Such a vehicle would never be allowed by the United States government.
At high noon, you could maybe get 300 watt-hours, or enough to run 3 lightbulbs for an hour. At a discharge of 10 horsepower (pretty anemic), you’ve got about 2 1/2 minutes of charge. Maybe you go 3 miles. Maybe not. And not quickly. And don’t stop.
As for 30 hours, that’s 30 NOON hours, otherwise you have to deal with the loss due to angle. About 5 clear days of sunshine to go that (maybe) 90 miles. Makes “point of no return” have meaning again.
Note: this really isn’t something that better solar panels will fix, either. Only so much sunlight on a given spot.
Investors beware.
It is ugly. But with better solar panels and better crash worthiness, at that price I’d stand in line to buy it.
Solar panels are not a cost effective way to power your house, anywhere commercial power is available. It’s unfortunate, but they are not. Why on earth would they be an effective way to power your car, where you have to add more power to the electric car to push the panel around.
This is BS. The photo is not even the same car. It’s not even an electric car.
The road to energy independence will be paved with tricksters hucksters, and crooks.
this will fit in the new NEV neighborhood electric vehicle rules which allow for cars that go less than 25mph,,or 35 mph some places,, except for rhode island where the powers that be are totally retarded, ( no offense to any developmentally disabled people)
i like how everyone has negative things to say about this innovative car.
styling-easy change
safety-easy fix
better technology-with a bit of research
now go back to checking how your 401Ks are flushing down the drain and cry a little if you have nothing good to say