The car that runs on sunshine

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Courtesy BBC

Imagine a car that runs on the same power as a toaster.

That’s what the student-run Stanford Solar Car Project claims to have done. The project designs, builds, tests and races solar-powered vehicles as part of the World Solar Challenge, a 2,000-mile (3,200 kilometre) trek across the Australian Outback. The aim is to develop fuel-efficient, lighter and more aerodynamic vehicles.

The lightweight vehicle, which cruises at 55mph (89km/h), operates on only one battery pack’s charge. Its bulbous shape is designed to minimise drag, but it was a huge challenge to build.

The team’s engineering philosophy is that they can repurpose traditional designs to make them more efficient and sustainable. Their car won’t ever make it on to the roads however – it is too fragile to survive a crash with another vehicle, and had to be escorted by other cars during the Australian race.

Cars that run on the energy of the Sun have already hit the roads of the Australian desert. As the video above explains, they can even cruise along at the same kinds of speeds as a petrol engine.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Wow! Great car concept, I really never see a car like this. I hope this car will be launched soon.Easy but very precise information… Thank you for discussing this one. A must study post!

  2. Oh! This car drives on solar energy! Cool! Keeping eyes on the rate of environmental pollution rate, automobile companies are trying their hand on electric and hybrid vehicles that emits less carbon dioxide. Though it is a small project only but that days are not too far when our regular cars would be drive by solar energy. It was pleasure to read this post. Thanks.

  3. New technology make every thing easy and possible. Solar car is one of example of that technology. Student make the project complete by making solar car. Solar car charge with sun shine and it is environment friendly. Such a nice innovation of solar car.

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