PV Gap

Duane Said:

Artificial light to charge solar panel?

We Answered:

i'd think that it would be better to leave the solar chargers under a light that you have on for some other reason, rather than under a lamp specifically for them.
Keep in mind, outside in the sun, the light is far more intense than most bright lights.

which is to say, yes it would work, but take several days.
it's just not a good idea.

Marshall Said:

hAS ANY1 EVER TRIED SOLAR POWER 4 THERE CAR? IF SO WHAT RESULTS DID U GET?

We Answered:

exactly, solar power has come a long way! yes i've got one and it works, if you forget to turn off the lights or something, you need sunshine though, if it is a cloudy day, you'll still need a jumpstart.

Willard Said:

Help with science project! Solar Power Car?

We Answered:

You need to buy a low power electric motor, often sold as "solar motor".

Lot's of companies sell them together with solar cell scrap. See e.g.

http://www.solar-world.com/SolarMini-Pan…

(no endorsement, I just googled "solar motor" and they popped up).

I would suggest you get encapsulated cells first, the scrap cells are very brittle and hard to work with (even if you have special solder and the right tools). You will also need some gears to set down the high rpms of the motor to the low rpm of the car. The gears will give you the necessary torque to drive a reasonable sized car.

Besides these simple hints, everything else is left to your imagination.