What is Digg?Sponsored by Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City view!
rockstargames.com - Out Now on Disc for Xbox 360. Includes The Lost and Damned plus the all-new The Ballad of Gay Tony.
68 Comments
- sheagunther42, on 05/14/2009, -1/+25I have a hard time believing that that thing is truly solar powered. My guess is that it's an electric bike with solar panels- sure it CAN be fully charged with the panels on the bike, but only if you have a week or two to spare. Cool concept nonetheless.
- jerryjamesstone, on 05/14/2009, -3/+18Um, why are manufacturers totally getting pwned by all these DIYers. I am embarrassed for them. This thing is awesome!
- inactive, on 05/15/2009, -1/+12Solar powered - not a chance.
Solar assisted - yes - a tiny bit realistically.
I also find the range and perf figures suspect. Last year I spent days researchnig how practical an ev scoot was.
My conclusion was not very. Keeping batteries roughly inside the dimensions of my gilera and filling all luggage space 180 I could get 4Kw/h of lithium batteries - best I figured was 40 miles of average use. ( and £4000 for the batteries )
Performance was no probelm with the same perf as the 180cc petrol avaialble with ease - for about 5 miles.
The one ev scoot i know of ' the vectrix' has about 4kwh of battery if I recall correctly and a range of something like 50 to 60 miles, but ONLY when driven really slowly, something like 25mph. I havent checked the site for 1 year so maybe it has imrpoved.
I love EVs but i dont think a motorcycle will ever be a suitable vehicle - well not untill batteries get much more energy dense.
http://www.vectrix.com/
Checked range - still poor - 35 to 55 miles. - inactive, on 05/15/2009, -2/+10LOL *****, if I slap some solar panels on my ass it doesn't make my farts solar powered.
- SurryElle, on 05/14/2009, -1/+7That would be awesome for beach days...
- ziadeh, on 05/15/2009, -0/+6it looks a bit strange but it's great :)
- mantis108, on 05/15/2009, -0/+6Suh-weet, I want one.
- FeartheKnighted, on 05/15/2009, -0/+6Great idea, but slapping solar panels on the side of a motorcycle doesn't seem like it will do a whole lot.
- deff, on 05/15/2009, -0/+690MPH top speed, its in the article.
- mfc5200, on 05/15/2009, -1/+6They put the line into the video. They said "solar charged" not "solar powered". Give a take a factor 2, you get about 1.5 hp per square meter from the Sun. Then take into account that solar cells are about 30% efficient and you get 0.45 hp per square meter.
Then take into account that batteries are absurdly inefficient (If I remember correctly from when I was getting my masters, it was around 1-10%), and that number goes way down. But even assuming batteries were 100%, you still only get 0.45 hp per square meter.
So then you say, well my little Honda car has 100 hp engine, so I would need 200 square meters of solar panels (or roughly 14 meters x 14 meters), and you see why a "solar powered" anything isn't really possible. "Solar charged" yes, assuming you only drive it a fraction of the day and leave it outside the rest of the time. Or alternatively you could put panels on your roof, store up that charge during the day while you are at work, and then transfer it to a car overnight. But then again, you run into the battery inefficiency problems.
Bottom line: The reason we don't have electric vehicles and instead use gasoline is because batteries suck. Plain and simple. Once that bottleneck is overcome, the world will change. - TheWalt, on 05/15/2009, -0/+5First practical battery - 1836 by Daniell
First practical four stroke ICE- 1876 by Otto, Daimler, and Maybach
Whenever I pull up next to a hybrid or electric car I always think to myself "dinosaurs..." - anand1st, on 05/15/2009, -2/+7Didn't think it was too difficult... just take a solar powered car and remove 2 wheels
- TheWalt, on 05/15/2009, -0/+5Being a motorcyclist, I think that it is pretty neat. Electric bikes that never need to be fueled is an interesting concept, but I don't think that it is as feasible as it appears. First off, the way a bike is laid out, when you factor in such things as wheels and rider position, does not have much in the way of surface area for panels. However, by placing them on the cowl, he solved the issue, but introduces another. No matter what position the sun is in, all of the panels are not going to be hit. Its a simple truth. The panels are on one side or the other. If the bike is parked, which I am certain it needs to be to charge as there is no way that it can collect solar energy faster than it expends, than it will be leaning one way or another on its kickstand, therefore most likely completely shadowing half the panels. If the bike is being ridden, I am sure there is a good chance at the rider's body blocking most of the sun from the top, and therefore you are left with the same dilemma as when its parked.
I think an electric bike is a vehicle more suited to "charge and go," instead of trying to generate the energy itself.
Despite these problems, forge ahead. It looks like a great project that may have an interesting lead. - ColinGreig, on 05/15/2009, -0/+4Where do you buy a solar powered car? lol
- chadsmith729, on 05/15/2009, -1/+5Just wear a helmet. It's great that you were smart enough to make the first solar powered bike. What good would that do you if your head is all over the road? None. Just wear a helmet.
- arizona01, on 05/15/2009, -0/+4I'm sure all the major motorcycle manufacturers are capable of building a solar motorcycle but the question is can they build one that is practical and economical. If you had to sell your house to buy one of these then it's not ready for the mass market. This guy is building this bike out of passion, corporations build to make a profit.
- FunFactor100, on 05/15/2009, -1/+5@oep4: Try driving a Ferrari, M5, or AMG and you may start thinking different....they're WAY more fun than your mom's prius....and they'll get you laid even if you're a digg member.
- armack5, on 05/15/2009, -0/+4zero info in this article. at best it is solar charge assisted. i bet it would take a full week sitting in the sun to charge its batteries. no i bet it would take longer.
and for the record i just built my first electric car, so i definitely want this bike to be for real, but it just cant be with current solar tech. - inactive, on 05/15/2009, -0/+3What is it with you people? Can you stay on topic for once?
- mfc5200, on 05/15/2009, -0/+3I'm no master no the subject, but I would imagine they need to either focus on either cleaner "alternative fuels", fuel cells, or ultra high capacity capacitors, or something else someone hasn't thought of.
The chemistry behind batteries is just an absurdly limiting factor. I mean they've been around for over 100 years, and really haven't improved all that much (by that, I mean orders of magnitude like everything else). - chromevinyl, on 05/16/2009, -0/+3Solar cycle?
Does it only last 11 years? - FeartheKnighted, on 05/15/2009, -0/+3As a motorcycle rider I would have to disagree...riding your bike back from the beach is really not fun. Putting on a helmet and leathers while sandy and hot in 95 degree weather is not my idea of awesome.
- Hindermore, on 05/15/2009, -0/+3*their
- TheWalt, on 05/15/2009, -0/+3Because manufacturers don't want to sell off all their bikes, homes, and assets to realize a dream.
- shanidachine, on 05/15/2009, -2/+4good on you mate!
- inactive, on 05/15/2009, -2/+4FINALLY.
- ColinGreig, on 05/15/2009, -1/+3Sure it's range and topend doesn't compare to combustion engine bikes, but this is a first of it's kind! A better comparison would be to the first motorbikes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_history
If people can do this themselves in their own garages.. imagine where we could be in 5-10 years if some of those "billions in bailouts" were dedicated to electric propulsion and solar power R&D, instead of fixing GM's cheap plastic interiors and ***** service records. - Itsatrapackbar, on 05/15/2009, -0/+2It's only a matter of time before it becomes self-aware...
- Hindermore, on 05/15/2009, -1/+3It's sad that individual consumers with a limited budget have to come up with stuff like this while huge companies with massive budgets dump tons of money producing the same old crap.
- inactive, on 05/15/2009, -0/+2I'm guessing you can't ride it much at night (duh). I wonder how well it does on over-cast days?
- inactive, on 05/23/2009, -0/+2they should make the rider's jacket out of solar power magic fabric
that would pick up more sun and also be rad - splinter09, on 05/15/2009, -0/+2Thanks God it was a man not woman who built it. lol
- TheWalt, on 05/15/2009, -0/+2I once road my bike home after going swimming, without planning to. I rode home going 60 in wet jeans. Worth it.
- oep4, on 05/15/2009, -5/+7thats why we need to focus all our energy into making batteries better! the combustion engine is old... my mom has a plug-in prius and whenever i am at a stop light next to a nice car, a ferrari, an M5, or an AMG or something, i always think to myself..."Dinosaurs..."...
!! - AngelBunny, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1actually zaskar they have gotten much better especially in weight.
- rif42, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1@mfc5200
You are off by a factor 10 or so on the optimistic side. For solar PV you need 150-200 cm2 per watt peak. That is 50-67 watt per m2, so that is 11-14 m2 for 1 hp. - cornelje, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1Dugg down because of tin-hat
- AngelBunny, on 05/15/2009, -1/+2dugg down because of caps
- ABadPerson, on 05/15/2009, -2/+3Because DIYers don't have to worry too much about mass production and safety standards.
- inactive, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1Indeed things have got better, but only really in charge / discharge speed - a123 batteries and nanosafe I think.
Capacity is still stuck around 250w/kg and I think on a mcycle there just isnt the space.
Cars work fine it seems with current technology but it will only get better, so bikes will be cool in a few years - roll on I say. - AngelBunny, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1batteries have in fact changed since then (or, i'm guessing a least because you don't mention a date. i'm going off of EV).
it is thanks to laptops actually. - altgeeky1, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1>Bottom line: The reason we don't have electric vehicles and instead use gasoline is because batteries suck.
That does not follow. solar != electric.
The REASON we do not have SOLAR-CHARGED or SOLAR-POWERED vehicles is because many things suck.
Electric vehicles are "here" now. They're just a) expensive and b) not as useful in the USA due to the fact that many Americans drive 45 miles each way to work... - magneteye, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1Because BIG OIL doesn't want innovation. They want to sell oil and stay billionaires.
- cornelje, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1pretty sure GM is working on a plug-in hybrid right now...
- immatellyouwhat, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1You ride a HOG which is cool, not this type of bike, he means the rice burner in which usually they just wear a helmet and regular clothes.
- tordon, on 10/12/2009, -0/+1Great Idea but needs some follow up.
http://solarphotovoltaicproducts.com/store/ - Bhima, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1I looked into building an electric motorcycle 2 years ago and math didn't work out very favorably. I'm doing it again, now that I have some free time. For the last 18 months I have tracked my usage and it's primarily an in-town commuter use model, with regular extended trips to the country. So more than 80% of my driving is at or below 80kmh and within an 100km range.
There are more choices of battery chemistry and the price of some manufactures has really come down. Newer ultra-capacitors show promise for stop & go driving. There are more efficient controllers and motors.
So far I have concluded that if there is anything holding back electric commuters it is the amount & expense electronics required to attain the fullest efficiency and battery lifespan. (of the sort the vectrix does not have). These purpose built modules are large, expensive, and fragile.
When there is more competition in these areas I think electric commuters will become more common. - matude, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1You don't, you just take it.
- Pyrallis, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1oep4: Actually, batteries are an older technology than gasoline engines, by about a century. It's complicated, but Alessandro Volta demonstrated the first modern electric battery in 1800. It would be another 80 years or so before someone invented an internal combustion engine that ran on gasoline.
- rstang, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1He did not "build" this motorcycle. Unless you consider slapping a bunch of solar cells on top of your vehicle and splicing in some wires "building" an electric motorcycle.
It's also not a "prototype" or "one of a kind". And it's far from the first. It's a PRODUCTION electric motorcycle built in California. http://www.electricmotorsport.com/EGPR/egprPage.ht ...
And anyone who can do arithmetic can figure out that his approximately 100W of solar cells will not come close to charging his 2100Whr pack in less than 30 hours of sunlight. So, park your bike for a week in the sun and ride it for a half hour. Good luck on those museum plans DlCK! -
Show 51 - 70 of 70 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is