Solar-powered cars have been on the cards for several years now, but few, if any, have broken through. But, these 7 companies are hoping to make them mainstream.
The solar cells being used by Toyota, Sharp, and NEDO are only about 0.03 mm thick. This means more solar panels can be more easily placed on a car's surfaces, including its curvy parts on the roof and hood.
The solar panels for the prototype are said to convert sunlight at an efficiency level of more than 34% — the market standard is 20%.Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter last Friday that the new Tesla Cybertruck would be the first car from the company to offer solar panels as an option for extending range. The price for adding these solar panels to the vehicle has not yet been released.
In the past, Tesla has shunned the use of solar panels in its cars, the CEO saying the method lacks efficiency. It seems that the work of competitors may just have convinced Musk and the engineers at Tesla. Musk claims the solar panels can add 15 miles per day to the car's range. He says the average a person drives per day in the U.S. is 30 miles .What's more, the Tesla founder wrote about adding "fold-out solar wings" to increase the range of the Cybertruck even further — he said they would allow the car to double the added range from solar to up to 40 miles .
While solar cars might not be on the verge of overturning the auto industry, it's the promise of forming part of a wider network of self-sufficient energy consumption that makes them suchcars develop and whether they deliver on their enormous promise.While most of these models are yet to enter the general market, it is clear that significant progress is being made in the industry. Time and tide will tell when you can get your hands on one.
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