Solar Cars – Hybrid
Cars
The new age of cars - the
Hybrid Car
With the constant increase in gas prices
more than likely most of us have heard or seen the term hybrid
use over and over referring to vehicles. So what exactly are
hybrid cars? They are supposed to save us money by using
electricity instead of gas right?
Well, after reading this article you should have a clear
understand of what hybrid cars are exactly and how can actually
help us save money. You will also learn a quick overview in the
history of hybrid cars and the changes that they have
over gone throughout the years and how these changes have
effected the efficient and cost of hybrid cars.
So what exactly are hybrid cars? A hybrid car
is a car that uses a conventional propulsion system which
in turn uses a rechargeable energy storage system which
results in a better fuel economy than all conventional
cars with no restrictions on the range due to a charging
unit much like a battery electric vehicle which requires
batteries to be charged by an external source.
In the late 1990s we saw the release of the Honda Insight
and the Toyota Prius which was the first time hybrid vehicles
became available to the public. Such vehicles have gone through
a number of changes throughout the years.
Solar cars are a little different than electric hybrid cars.
While electric hybrid cars need to be charged by an external
source solar cars do not. Solar cars are electric vehicles
which are powered by solar energy which is captured by using
solar panels that are positioned on the surface of the car. By
using photovoltaic cells the solar vehicle is capable of
directly converting the sun’s energy into electrical energy.
Solar vehicles are not currently available widely to the open
public and are often used in experiments which are often
sponsored by various government agencies. As new advancements
become to light these vehicles will become more and more
available to the public.
Solar cars have implemented technology from various
industries including aerospace, bicycle, alternative energy and
automotive industries. Solar cars are designed based on the
energy input into the car whether it is batteries or solar
power. This often limits the design opportunities for solar
vehicles. The majority of solar cars built have been used in
solar car races. While most of the solar cars are only capable
of holding one person some have been built with the
capabilities of holding a drive and a passenger. The creation
of solar cars gives hope that one day solar powered vehicles
will be available to anyone with the money to buy one.
Solar race cars are generally built with all the components
featured in conventional vehicles including brakes, turn
signals, accelerator, ventilation, rear view mirrors, and
sometimes even cruise controls. Like all race cars, solar race
cars are almost always built with a radio inside for
communication between the driver and their support crew. Just
like conventional vehicles solar vehicles are commonly built
with gauges inside the vehicles which show various statistics
of the vehicle. To ensure the safety of the driver and the
condition of the vehicle the driver should keep a constant eye
on these gauges incase unexpected problems occur.
A Solar car is equipped with a solar array
which consist of hundred of photovoltaic solar cells which are
capable of converting sunlight into electricity which is used
to power the solar vehicle. Polycrystalline silicon,
monocrystalline silicon, and gallium arsenide are the more
common solar cell technologies employed by solar vehicles. The
amount of electricity captured during a particular time depends
on a number of factors including the current weather condition,
the position of the sun, and of course the total capacity of
the solar array. A good array is capable of producing over two
kilowatts at noon on a bright sunny day.
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