Solar cars are cars right? I drive some of these!

I've never seen a Prius with solar panels, is this only on the latest models?

is an option 2010 model
and seems standard on 2015 model
not many people talk about it

Those university-built solar cars are mechanically closer to electric bicycles than cars. There is simply not enough surface area on a car for solar panels to power a normal-weight car.

A roof top solar panel could power an air fan to keep the car cool when parked outdoors, or at best, trickle-charge a battery to *maintain* it's charge when parked for an extended period of time.

If you want a real solar-powered car, cover your house roof in panels and charge a Tesla in your garage. A house does have enough surface area to power a real car.

uh oh

CLOUDS

I don't think the goal of these vehicles is to be a viable consumer option, rather a testbed for future technologies. The carbon fibre expertise, lithium ion battery experience, as well as other innovative efficiency related things that come out of these programs is the real benefit to society. I say this knowing the solar car I work with is so useless in anything outside of a structured race environment.

Seems like an impractical dd engineering competition vehicle tbqhwyfam

>Those university-built solar cars are mechanically closer to electric bicycles than cars. There is simply not enough surface area on a car for solar panels to power a normal-weight car.
heh just wait for panels with better photovoltaic efficiency kiddo

Agreed. But as someone else said stick the high efficiency panels they use on your roof and charge your Tesla. Easy money easy life. And find a way to store the energy!