Solar vehicles

[Sludgy]

Here's a link to a practical (off road) solar vehicle, on sale NOW. Amazingly, it uses lead acid batteries and DC motors. The motor does regen, but an AC version with lithium batteries would be awesome.

Solar Charging your Gorilla Electric Vehicle - also Hydro and Wind Power.

[The Toecutter]

I intend to eventually have what could be called a 'solar vehicle'.

My electric car, when finished? after that, I'll be working on wind and photovoltaic systems to place on the garage to charge the car when its not in use.

Any EV could be a solar powered vehicle.

Otmar Ebenhoech, who started up Cafe Electric(builds zilla controllers), has a battery electric Porsche 914 that can do 0-60 mph in 5 seconds, 13.8 second 1/4 mile drag race, and top 140 mph. Guess what he 'fuels' it with?

Solar panels. Plugs the car in at home, charges it from the sunlight.

Way more practical than carrying the panels on the vehicle.

[Sludgy]

Originally Posted by The Toecutter

I intend to eventually have what could be called a 'solar vehicle'.

My electric car, when finished? after that, I'll be working on wind and photovoltaic systems to place on the garage to charge the car when its not in use.

Any EV could be a solar powered vehicle.

Otmar Ebenhoech, who started up Cafe Electric(builds zilla controllers), has a battery electric Porsche 914 that can do 0-60 mph in 5 seconds, 13.8 second 1/4 mile drag race, and top 140 mph. Guess what he 'fuels' it with?

Solar panels. Plugs the car in at home, charges it from the sunlight.

Way more practical than carrying the panels on the vehicle.

Unfortunately, most of us work when the sun shines. How can solar panels located at home chage my car when I'm 10 miles away? For my solar car, the panels have to be on it.

On the other hand, a wind generator at home would work at night.

[Sludgy]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

When you have solar panels attached to your house they "store" the energy by putting it back into the grid and then you take it out later from the plant, or that's how I understand it. If you're car can't make a 20 mile round trip on a charge that's quite pitiful.

I'm glad your solar car has such great range. Can you please post pictures? With the solar array, grid-tie inverter, and battery charging station? Thanks!

[The Toecutter]

Unfortunately, most of us work when the sun shines. How can solar panels located at home chage my car when I'm 10 miles away?

Store the electricity in a set of low power, low cost batteries. Over the life of a set of properly maintained flooded lead acid batteries, it will add roughly $.03/kwh to the cost of the electricity you use. This is also how people not tied to the grid keep electricity in their homes at night when the panels aren't working.

If you can score a set of military surplus NiCds, even better. Just don't turn your yard into a superfund site with those.