Tokai Challenger, the winner of the 2009 World Solar Challenge, with an average speed of 100.5 km/h (62 mph) over the 2,998 km (1,858 mi.) race
The Lightyear 0, a solar-electric passenger car went into limited production in December 2022. Production stopped a month later.
A solar car is a solar vehicle for use on public roads or race tracks. Solar vehicles are electric vehicles that use self-contained solar cells to provide full or partial power to the vehicle via sunlight. Solar vehicles typically contain a rechargeable battery to help regulate and store the energy from the solar cells and from regenerative braking. Some solar cars can be plugged into external power sources to supplement the power of sunlight used to charge their battery.
Solar cars combine technology typically used in the aerospace, bicycle, alternative energy and automotive industries. The design of solar vehicles always emphasizes energy efficiency to make maximum use of the limited amount of energy they can receive from sunlight. Most solar cars have been built for the purpose of solar car races. However several prototypes of solar cars designed for use on public roads have been designed and built.
There are various solar car competitions around the world that are generally partaken by collegiate and company teams. The most notable competitions is the World Solar Challenge, which is an international competition that takes place in Australia. Some other competitions include the American Solar Challenge and the United Solar Challenge.
As of December 2022, only one solar car had reached production, the Lightyear 0, but at the limited delivery rate of one car a week.[1] In January 2023 the company halted vehicle manufacture and sales, and the vehicle maker's production company, Atlas Technologies B.V., requested bankruptcy protection.[2][3]
The Aptera's production is expected to start in 2024.[4]
Solar cars depend on a solar array that uses photovoltaic cells (PV cells) to convert sunlight into electricity. Unlike solar thermal energy which converts solar energy to heat, PV cells directly convert sunlight into electricity.[5] When sunlight (photons) strike PV cells, they excite electrons and allow them to flow, creating an electric current. PV cells are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon and alloys of indium, gallium and nitrogen. Crystalline silicon is the most common material used and has an efficiency rate of 15–25%.
^"Lightyear 0 Solar EV Enters Production At A Rate Of One Per Week". InsideEVs. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
^"Lightyear 0 unit goes bust, impact on future car plans unclear". DutchNews.nl. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
^"Lightyear 0 Production On Hold As Company Focuses On Affordable Model". InsideEVs. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
^Chris (2023-01-27). "Aptera Announces Accelerator Program to Kick Off Production Plan". Aptera. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
^"Pimentel, D. "Renewable Energy: Economic and Environmental Issues"". Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
A solarcar is a solar vehicle for use on public roads or race tracks. Solar vehicles are electric vehicles that use self-contained solar cells to provide...
charge the car's battery and to power the car's electric motors. Solarcars have been designed for solarcar races and for public use. Solar vehicles must...
Solarcar racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car...
A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited...
Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly...
The World Solar Challenge (WSC), since 2013 named Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, is an international event for solar powered cars driving 3000 kilometres...
that operate off of solar energy and/or sunlight are commonly referred to as solarcars.[citation needed] These vehicles use solar panels to convert absorbed...
vehicles at International Formula Student events. They built a 600 cc race car that was selected to participate in the Formula SAE 2008 competition organized...
A solar inverter or photovoltaic (PV) inverter is a type of power inverter which converts the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic solar...
electric cars, roadside emergency telephones, remote sensing, and cathodic protection of pipelines. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar modules...
of solarcar racing teams. Renewable energy portal Energy portal World Solar Challenge North American Solar Challenge "Covestro Adelie solarcar makes...
The Squad Solar is a neighborhood electric vehicle that has a solar panel on top to make it a solarcar. The vehicle can also be plugged into a regular...
A rooftop solar power system, or rooftop PV system, is a photovoltaic (PV) system that has its electricity-generating solar panels mounted on the rooftop...
awarded 1st place in 2- and 3-D mechanical drawing of the car. LISA North has the only solarcar team in the state of Arkansas. The LISA Academy Jaguars...
Solar shingles, also called photovoltaic shingles, are solar panels designed to look like and function as conventional roofing materials, such as asphalt...
the photoelectric effect. This discovery laid the foundation for solar cells. Solar cells have gone on to be used in many applications. They have historically...
A solar lamp, also known as a solar light or solar lantern, is a lighting system composed of an LED lamp, solar panels, battery, charge controller and...
corresponding to a maximum photocurrent; this property was used for the creation of solar cells.[citation needed] Many substances besides metals discharge negative...
Cart girl Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Electric car Electric vehicle Squad Solar Called golf car in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard...
Desert. Eighteen solar powered cars were displayed in front of the presidential palace (La Moneda) in Santiago in November 2012. The cars were then raced...
Service | Ardingly College UK school crosses Australia in solarcar challenge – BBC Newsbeat "SolarCar Project". "Ardingly College Review: Fees, Courses, Ranking...
The SolarCar Challenge is an annual solar-powered car race for high school students. The event attracts teams from around the world, but mostly from American...
other solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power or solar thermal, used for heating and cooling. A solar array only encompasses the solar panels...
competitions: the academic competition and the solarcar competition. There were two parts to the solarcar competition: the actual race and the design document...
A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell that includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic–inorganic lead or...
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