Neat experiment but perhaps not the most practical design!

Didn’t General Motors produce a prototype with panels on the roof, that looked rather like a car as we know it?

This one is definirely for fair weather, with no weather protection for the driver. But without a battery back up, it probably wouldn’t work too well in the rain!

Howard

I have always thought that in the future “boffins” would develop a paint that could produce electricity effectively doing the same job as a solar panel.

Therefore in the case of a car, its paint work would be the equivalent of a solar panel of a reasonable area.

Obviously this would not work as effectively in Scotland in the Winter as it would in the south of France in the Summer!

I saw , on TV, a race in Australia , for solar powered cars. It is due again next year . Website here

https://worldsolarchallenge.org/

And a Youtube video

https://youtu.be/R_lVdrHnbYo?si=LXVNRVyIIl95c9b4

It does seem interesting and innovative.

On 21 August 2024 at 07:47 Bo’sun Said:

Bernard’s hit the nail on the head.

Bernhard’s comment “What a waste of time and effort and resources” is extremely brave on a forum devoted to Model Engineering!  Here we enjoy building all manner of objects, using the most expensive machine tools to convert costly metal into swarf.

Can’t agree a hobbyist messing with solar panels and a car is doing anything reprehensible.  No worse in my mind than modelling a 19th century agricultural machine that didn’t work in full size:

And, if we’re going to blast off ill-considered criticisms, is that solar car really more of a waste of time and resources than this:

I like almost everything done on the forum.  I admire endeavour, successful or not, and the results of workmanship however applied.   I think accessorizing motorbikes, clocks, CNC, musical and scientific instruments, experimental work, and building steam classics are all great, plus CAD, electronics, motors of all types, tool making, novelties, futures and much else.  Arguably the result is poorly disciplined, with a forum that dots around many minority interests instead of focussing on the one true faith!

But ok,  I’m up for change: what Model Engineering projects do Bosun and Bernhard consider acceptable?

Dave

Me too.

Today’s pointless, extravagant impractical toys are tomorrow’s ubiquitous, every-day tools. Like cars….