Solar Powered Car History
The very first solar car was invented in 1955. It was a 15-inch vehicle that was created by William Cobb from General Motors.
The first car which a person could drive was built in 1962. A car from 1912 was converted to run on solar energy. In 1977, Alabama University built a proper solar car which efficient and better quality. In 1980 the engineering department of Tel Aviv University created a solar car, which was even more powerful. In recent years, several automobile companies have started producing solar powered cars and these come in a variety of shapes, design and specs.
How Much Light Does a Solar Car Need?
Diffuse sunlight from a cloudy sky will normally provide enough energy for the car to run. However, solar radiation is very variable from place to place, time to time and season to season, which can affect how fast a battery can be charged and power the car. In a well assembled car kit given suitable lighting conditions the solar cell supplies more than enough electricity to spin the wheels and propel the car.
When Will We Finally Be Able To Use Solar Power Cars?
Solar powered cars, boats, racing cars are already there and being used globally. These care will more commonly be seen on roads in near future, and when world’s oil will become scarce, production and demand of these cars will increase manifold.
What Types of Batteries are Used in Solar Powered Cars?
Most commonly used lead acid batteries are used in solar powered cars. There are other batteries that but are rarely used, such as Nicad (nickel cadmium), NiFe (nickel iron) and some other but these are much more costly than the lead acid batteries.
Also read:
