Why solar car is not popular in current market ?

Solar car is said as “future car”, it is different with traditional cars. Solar car don’t have engine, underpan, drive, gearbox, etc, it is consists of solar panels, battery and electrical machinery. Only if to control the current of electrical machinery, the solar car can be moving. There are three technical points for a solar car, one is to convert solar radiation into power, the second is to store this power which is from solar panel, the third is to make the most use of power to drive car.

Solar car stand for the new level in car industry, because it is non-contamination, inexhaustible energy, then it is said as “future car”. But it is costly, and power is limited by sunlight time and carrying capacity is small, therefore, it is not popular in current market.

Maybe someone has noticed that the appearance of solar car is similar with “UFO”, but what is the reason ?

The first importance is that solar car need solve the problem to get more power being converted by solar radiation, which requires the solar cells can mostly touch with sunlight, and it can get most power from vertical sunlight, so, most of solar cars are made as flat shape.

The second reason is the limitation of current technology. Taking assumption that power of solar car is limitation, then the weight of car need be reduced to make it run faster.

The third reason is that many large-scale exhibitions of solar car are held around of the world, and each item has different request for solar car, including length, width, etc, every participant need design the car according to relative standard, so, most of solar cars are tried to do more slight, smaller wind drag, then different cars have various styles.

How much cost for a solar car ?
Tsinghua University has three solar cars, the one is more than 90 thousand dollar, each of another two solar cars is above 150 thousand dollar. The high cost is due to solar cells and materials. These solar cars are made by aeronautical materials which are slight with high cost for slight car body to get faster moving. Moreover, it is solar cells, the cell efficiency of the first car is 14%, another two cars are up to above 20%, which causes another two cars having more high cost.

Therefore, it is difficult for solar cars being popular in current market as above presentation. But it is hopeful and direction for car technology. What if getting through many technology barriers, solar car will be popular in future. We are waiting for this new era coming.

11th, November, 2017