The face of the automotive industry is being reshaped by recent concerns over oil supplies, international policy and fuel costs. A wide variety of hybrid technologies are now accessible to engineers looking to integrate solar vehicles into a commercial market, and with such progression the electric vehicle market is more than ever finding that is has a place in our future. But with the current economical climate, are solar vehicles really a focus for concern?

The solar powered car, one of the original and perhaps the oldest alternative energy vehicles, has discovered via developing telemetry systems – a wireless internet-remote monitoring device – a better understanding of the energy usages applicable to electric vehicles can allow researchers to create a clearer picture of society and solar vehicles as a whole. And with advances in the field of photovoltaic panels (PV cells), solar-powered transport will soon be appearing more and more by roadsides.

Innovations like Venturi’s hybrid solar-electric car (the Astrolab) mark the first time that solar vehicles have come out of the research labs and into the hands of consumers. However, there are still obstacles to overcome. These vehicles, which remain a symbol for decades of continuing progression, are still comparatively expensive and have not yet found the speeds (the majority of solar cars not being able to exceed 50mph) that a petrol engine can deliver.
But that’s not to say that they won’t. All across the world the endeavour to make solar vehicles a commonplace reality is being actively supported. And especially in the sunnier sides of the globe, there are growing communities and annual events which promote and pronounce the arrival of groundbreaking advances in solar technology.

The SunRayce – a race of university teams from the USA, Canada, and Mexico, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, and EDS – is a 1200mile long-distance solar car race that stands out as a totem for perseverance and ingenuity. The SunRayce project has generated a wealth of innovations, including developments in energy storage, lightweight materials, direct-drive motors, and advanced data telemetry.
The annual Great Southern International Sun race, held in Australia, is also doing their bit to increase the world’s awareness of a variety of important issues: Renewable energy sources and technologies environmentally clean energy options, improvements in transportation and opportunities in new, fast-growing energy-related businesses. It is with this level of promotion for renewable and ‘cleaner’ energy options that is inspiring markets around the globe to make room for solar.

In the city of Sacramento, California there has been groundbreaking advances to their public sector that have taken this somewhat dreamy public relationship with solar energy and public vehicles, which have taken this thought and turned it into action.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is supporting advanced transportation with clean solar electricity in an attempt to secure their slogan of “striving for cleaner air”. A new array of solar panels on the SMUD campus will soon provide enough electricity to generate hydrogen for its fleet of fuel-cell electric vehicles and provide electricity to the city’s grid during peak power demands. Not only does the technology help clean the air in Sacramento, it also helps to reduce carbon emissions associated with both power generation and vehicle petroleum usage – reducing the impacts of climate change.
The photovoltaic (PV) array delivers 80 kilowatts of power produced by the sun, which is enough power to provide electricity for about 40 single-family homes or provide hydrogen for about 14 fuel-cell vehicles. And in times of crisis the fleet can be deployed as an active lifeline to any inhabitant of Sacramento that is cut-off from the world, through entirely green solutions.

Designed as a demonstration project in reaction to the increased awareness of solar energy, the solar-powered fuelling station will fuel the seven fuel-cell electric vehicles that SMUD is testing in a partnership with BP, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler, and hopes to be the focus of civil engineers across the globe.
It is these changes to global markets, which at first may appear to be apposed to what’s pushing the eco-friendly frontiers, but are a sign of the progression that is being made and the sustainable future to come. The cultures of change have undoubtedly begun, even as far as the automotive markets that will soon be looking to update their showrooms and make space for change – and in good measure too.

Posted under Cars & Transport, Climate, Events, Renewable Energy