Are solar powered vehicles still a possibility?

[stephendavion]

do you thing solar powered vehicles still a possibility? read on wikipedia about it and when I searched for images ... lol .. they look very funny ... I am just thinking weather Solar Vehicles will ever hit the road or not ...

[Snail]

There was a recent post on a solar powered van which looked practical for shorter journeys. Can't find it 'tho. Whether or not such vehicles will improve?

[ujoni08]

AFAIK the panels can only produce enough to power a VERY light VERY aerodynamic engineering rig/experimental vehicle, driven on long flat roads in bright sunshine (read: Australia), not a normal, heavy car, which has to go up steep hills, etc.

[clv101]

Charging the battery for an electric bike is perfectly doable.

[adam2]

A directly solar powered vehicle is only viable for a relatively low performance vehicle that covers a relatively short distance per week.

Such a vehicle would still compare well with the trouble and expense of keeping a horse, or the human labour of walking many miles with perhaps a heavy load.

The recently discussed example of a PV powered small van is a good example of the merits and limitations of the technology.

Much higher performance EVs are entirely possible if charged from an external source such as a grid system or a large static privately owned RE system.

Even large or high performance EVs could benefit from PV modules, but these should be looked upon as SLIGHT range enhancers rather than as the principle means of powering the vehicle.
PV modules fitted to EVs also have the merit of eventually recharging the battery if the vehicle should be unexpectedly unused for a while, as in case of the owner being taken ill etc.

[mikepepler]

Charging the battery for an electric bike is perfectly doable.

In the summer we usually recharge our bike batteries from our off-grid PV...