PV Gap

Irene Said:

Is it possible for a solar powered car to exist?

We Answered:

No. At least not without a major break through.

A car, even with solar panels on the roof, hood and trunk would not have enough surface area to get enough sunlight to make the car run. Solar panels are just not that efficient, and work best in direct sunlight and in most places that is only for a couple hours a day(10am to 2pm). And you would need to keep the panels clean, and cars get dirty fast. and replace them often.

And there is the battery problem. The car would need a huge battery, that was very heavy. And the heaver the car, the more energy it takes to move the car. And a car alone is heavy, as it needs to stay on the road and not fly off the ground. And a battery loses power at night, even more so in the cold, so chances are the car would not start in the morning.

Anita Said:

Would I be able to convert a Jeep Wrangler into a solar powered car?

We Answered:

yes u could..however..the solar power panels and amount u would need would far outweigh what the solar ennergy would actualy move...u could run a belt off of 1 of the back wheels and make a chicken rotissorie

Ashley Said:

have they created a solar powered car yet?

We Answered:

They created solar powered cars YEARS ago.

Only problem is that they cost too much.

The trick is to build an AFFORDABLE solar powered car.

Don Said:

How can I design a solar powered car?

We Answered:

Solar powered directly? That is not very good economics even though it is possible. See the Sunstang project for a complete description of one. But before you rush off understand that sunstang was involved in a crash that killed the operator. A truck passing caused a wind that drew Sunstang across the highway and into the path of another vehicle. It had to be built so light that it would not control itself well in any cross wind or vortex.

Solar panels mounted on a car will charge up the batteries, then be useless until you use up that power. Had those solar panels been on your house, they could have been providing power at optimum every day. You would sell the excess to the grid, then buy back grid power to charge your batteries.

You can now plan a car heavy enough to be safe on the highway because you can have more solar collectors on the house (or garage roof) than you can find space on a car.

Use the google keyword Sunstang for the project.

Willie Said:

which is has a better performance, a hydrogen (water) powered car or a solar powered car?

We Answered:

The facts that follow do not mean I am against Hydrogen internal combustion engine. I am pointing the faults out so they can be solved.

Hydrogen has very low ignition energy. The amount of energy needed to ignite hydrogen is about one order of magnitude less than that required for gasoline.
Unfortunately, the low ignition energy means that hot gases and hot spots on the cylinder can serve as sources of ignition, creating problems of premature ignition and flashback. Hydrogen has a small quenching distance, smaller than gasoline. Consequently, hydrogen flames travel closer to the cylinder wall than other fuels before they extinguish. Thus, it is more difficult to quench a hydrogen flame than a gasoline flame. The smaller quenching distance can also increase the tendency for backfire since the flame from a hydrogen-air mixture more readily passes a nearly closed intake valve, than a hydrocarbon-air flame.
As with gasoline engines, unburnt fuel can seep by the piston rings and enter the crankcase. Since hydrogen has a lower energy ignition limit than gasoline, any unburnt hydrogen entering the crankcase has a greater chance of igniting.