A new way to power your car

http://phys.org/news/2013-04-lotus-mobile-unfolds-solar-charging-petals.html

imagine the strange looks you get if you drove a car like that on the road with those solar 'petals' on top of it.

Originally posted by humy
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-lotus-mobile-unfolds-solar-charging-petals.html

imagine the strange looks you get if you drove a car like that on the road with those solar 'petals' on top of it.

It doesn't say how much power is generated, only touting the 30% increase due to the guided axis affair.

Can you imagine driving down the road with that thing whinging on top?🙂

18 panels. What does it look like when it is all folded up? If each panel is 2 inches thick, just a guess, then it would be 3 feet thick when folded. 1 inch thick would still put it at 18 inches.

Is this thing meant to be mobile? The size of the support structure suggests it is meant to be stuck in place and you drive the car under it for connection. The article is not too clear on that.

I have put this kind of idea forward for years. My favorite development was the idea of solar PV paint. Paint your car with solar paint and you get power in the sun while not driving and since it would be drawing power off the sun, the interior of the car would be a bit cooler also.

I see signs of solar paint coming up in a few years. I can see solar paint as a great idea for recreational vehicles, camping trailers, RV's and such. A 30 foot RV painted with solar paint would generate quite a bit of power, the idea being you park in the sun and you would be on vacation and stay there for a few days and the vehicle soaks up energy enough to charge the batteries, run the AC and so forth so when you get ready to leave you have a full charge on your electrical storage system, whatever that turns out to be.

It could even be used to generate hydrogen if and when they get an efficient system for that. Hydrogen would then be the battery used in conjunction with H2 fuel cells and electric motors.

Put up the piece on the H2 breakthrough already:

http://phys.org/news/2013-04-breakthrough-hydrogen-fuel-production-revolutionize.html#ajTabs

It is not meant to be deployed while driving. It would be ripped off by the wind.
Here in Cape Town it would be ripped off by the wind even when stationary.
The problem with solar panels on cars, is the area simply cannot provide enough power for driving, although it could extend trip distance.
My sister is planning to get an electric car and has also considered solar panels, but I believe the conclusion so far is it is not worth it. Better to use stationary solar panels at charging points, or simply rely on normal electricity (as solar is still more expensive).