Never mind that this solar-powered car looks like a streamlined humpback whale covered with high-tech barnacles. The SolarWorld No.1 can hit a top speed of 75mph, and averaged 45mph over an 1864-mile race course without once stopping at a gas station. Solar cars are getting so advanced, those stats were only good enough for this vehicle to place fourth in the 2008 World Solar Challenge, held this month in Australia.
Designed by a group of 50 students and their professors, it looked cool enough to win the Best Challenge Class Design Award. Form follows function, too, with its single motor driving the front wheel at an impressive 94% efficiency, a far cry from the 26% efficiency of a typical internal combustion engine. Maybe that solar Prius is an even better idea than we thought.
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Hochschule Bochum, via Ecofriend
editor@dvice.com
By Humbert Humbert at 6:10 PM ON 07/18/08
You guys really shouldn't be let outside without wearing your special padded helmets.
Your comparison is flawed.
Almost every electrical motor in the world has an efficiency in the 90's.
What you should have compared is the efficiency of an ICE to the solar cells used in the vehicle.
That would be around 26% for the ICE to around 15% for the solar cells.
Back to school now children.
By gbdub at 11:51 PM ON 07/18/08
Actually the cells on that car are pushing 28%. Nice try though.
By bdchivers at 5:04 PM ON 07/21/08
Let's not forget the energy it takes to get crude oil out of the ground, get it to the refinery, refine it, and transport the fuel to the end user.