What is Digg?86 Comments
- aldenhg, on 10/11/2007, -6/+74Because the government has been subsidizing the wildly profitable oil industry instead of funding technology to get us off of a limited, polluting and politically retarded energy source.
- GhostWithToast, on 10/11/2007, -3/+38Why oh why isn't everything solar yet!
- DiggChainey, on 10/11/2007, -2/+32What would be nice is having it power a separate small heating or cooling device to maintain the inside temperature in the car when parked.
- Turambar, on 10/11/2007, -0/+25can they do the hood and the trunk too?
solar panels are way cooler than carbon fiber. - SharkMan, on 10/11/2007, -13/+35more like solar panels are extremely expensive to make, and dont make enough power to be cost efficient.
- Bob042, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14That's cool. Although I'm sure the solar doesn't provide near enough power to run on it's own, It's interesting to think that just having the car outside in nice weather can "refuel" it.
- apeweek, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11Here's another car - an electric car - with solar cells built into the windows:
http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=4560
The ZAP-X does 350 miles per charge - 644 horsepower - 155mph top speed - batteries charge in 10 minutes - battery pack lasts for 300,000 miles - and is biodegradable. - UrbanVoyeur, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8Be nice to see this on a Tesla Roadster.
- Brss45, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9my next car is going to be a hybrid. at current gas prices, (and predicted future ones) i'll probably save money in the long run, plus these new companies need all the help they can get from customers.
and the solar panel is freakin' sweet! design meets functionality. - Drgn547, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I await the first hail storm
- drewhenson, on 10/11/2007, -6/+12@aldenhq
Profitable because it is in high demand. Also, margins are about 6% on gas for the oil industry, so its questionable on what you mean by "wildly." Solar energy is subsidized too, just look at the instructions next time you do your taxes, you get refunds for using solar panels.
At one time the U.S. was a major oil exporter and self-sufficient. Thats how things came to be the way they are now, we had lots of cheap oil and it became the basis of our economy, and its kind of difficult to switch away now. And alternative fuels won't end our oil dependence - to do that you'll need to develop alternative lubricants, alternative plastics, alternative cleaners, alternative rubber. The petrochemical industry is the main consumer of petroleum - so alternative energy for the American motorist really won't do all that much to end our dependence on a "politically retarded resource." Don't get me wrong, oil is polluting and limited, but as long as it makes economic sense to use it, we will continue to. You don't want to use a polluting resource? Don't use it, or better yet, develop an alternative and make it profitable so that people can get off of their oil dependence. - BESTenemy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6They can and they will. It's just a question of time.
- Raidenwolf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5For those that have the nerve to whine about solar power not being fiscally responsible. Our planet intercepts only about a billionth of the Sun's total output, but that small fraction is an amazing amount of power. "If we turned all the water in Lake Erie into fuel oil and burned it all in a single second, we'd produce about the same amount of energy as we get from the sunlight that strikes Earth in a single day. Solar power does not make fiscal sense right now for personal vehicle use. But I would have rather spent the Trillion dollars wasted in IRAQ, on converting all federal and state level buildings over to solar and wind power.
Some times it just costs more to do the right thing, but almost always doing the right thing saves money, time and lives over the long haul. - BESTenemy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6@hdtvdust
Then your argument should also apply to hydrogen technology.
At least solar technology is an energy source, while hydrogen's nothing but a carrier and a storage method. I'm all for investing into solar.
There have been advances making it possible to capture wider range of wave spectrum. Next generation will be able to convert infra-red, as well as ultra violet into energy.
What determins efficiency is a payoff throughout the lifetime of the device. 3-4 years isn't that bad with this example, considering the fact cars stay in service for tens of years. It'll pay for itself over and over. Plus it's an excellent backup solution for those that fear getting stuck in the middle of nowhere without an outlet or gas station. - ganjadude4391, on 10/11/2007, -5/+10Buying hybrid cars is NOT the answer. (yes your gonna digg me down if you dont read 1st)
A hybrid car takes generally 4-8 years to pay off the extra costs, On top of that you STILL need gas for it. By all these people buying hybrids the industry is saying "look! people want hybrids! Lets make them" Well ok, but while every car company is rushing to work on hybrid tech, which like i said is NOT the solution, they are wasting time money and resources on backpedaling to work on hybrids rather than working on a true, clean running car. - gotamd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Solar seems like it could be a good idea for hybrids, especially in the future. Cars spend a large amount of time outside anyway, particularly while they're in use. Even though it may not be worth it now, rising gas prices and better solar technology in the future may mean the day when this makes a lot of sense is not far off.
- khyberkitsune, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5@sharkman
We have new indium-gallium-arsenide solar panels that are boasting to be 40+% efficient, and are considerably cheaper to manufacture than old silicon solar panels. I could power my whole house for less than $10,000 and a few extra unused square meters of my lawn to supplement the roof area. - VeganG, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7For a lot of people, hybrids aren't even about saving money personally. It's about giving their money to somebody besides the oil companies for a change.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5is that an offer?
- drgruney, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Doesn't just have to be "nice* weather. Could be freezing cold... so long as it's sunny and your li ion batteries aren't in that cold.
- yoda17, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4
Pretty much a scam, gimmick, whatever. That's 2-300W at noon on the equator, no clouds. That's about 0.7% of the 50,000w needs of the motor.
Maybe if you left it out in the sun all the time for a few weeks you'd store up enough to run a little. Hardly justification for the price, not to mention the environmental impact of manufacturing the cells.
Disclaimer: I worked on the solar race car at my college. - wordwarp, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6these solar panels also highly increase the likelihood of receiving oral favors from eco-minded occupants of the front passenger seat.
- DrDragun, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Oh yeah, and on another note... biodiesel is the way to go :) It's nearly a carbon-neutral process, and if algae is used as the feedstock then biodiesel farms can replace waste treatement plants. The main arguments against biodiesel are due to the huge energy input and landmass required by corn (which was previously the preferred feedstock). Check out the latest news on biodiesel from algae.... This is something that can actually happen and plus it requires minimal change to American infrastructure and truck/auto development.
- wonderworm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3OK, I'm serious about this. There has to be an easy DIY method to recreate this just by mounting a roof rack on your car, mounting a rack of high efficiency solar panels, and then wiring them into your Hybrid's battery system.
Does anyone know of a website where a DIY guy has already done this for his hybrid and has instructions on the web? I don't even think this should be very hard to do. Not much harder than putting some amps and a stereo system in your car.
Where a place to buy the cheapest (but still efficient) solar panels too. - DommoOrigato, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I just think that 2-3 years is WAAAAAAAAY overly optimistic. I suppose it may be true if you live in the arizona desert where you get a lot of direct sunlight all year, and you leave your car out, however it also assumes you do A LOT of driving.
Secondly this jacks already expensive hybrid cars to insane prices. I mean when the most you'll ever really see out of this solar panel system is perhaps mileage going from 45 to 46 mpg, then I think it's a waste. At the end of the day it comes down to dollars and cents, and this is just not worth the money. - LucidHawk, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I've had this idea a long time..
My question is .. what about leaving it in the garage?
And if you don't leave it in the garage but outside to get more power then what about when it hails?
Those solar panels are an expensive investment if it hails 2-3 times a year like in Oklahoma.
Wasting time to plan and put a cover on the car every time you hear it's going to storm would be a pain in the ass. - drewhenson, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Before someone says something - the petrochemical industry is not the main consumer of oil - just the leftovers. And to clarify, most is not made into gasoline.
- krazytom, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4$2k to $4k is not really that bad. In 3 years you can make up the cost and of course be more "green." I hope car companies start considering this as a standard option, it makes sense. Wish I would have thought of it.
- HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2This should work well in helping reduce my power usage on my drive home after work. But in the morning, I don't think it will have any juice, as the sun has just risen and power generation (even if I parked outside) is poor at low sun angles.
The extra battery makes this thing workable as a plug-in hybrid too. They should add a cord to it so I can reduce gas usage in the morning too. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5You are a pretty bad investor if you think that a 2-3 year payback period is a bad thing.
- echinatl, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"Buying hybrid cars is NOT the answer."
But isn't it better than what we have now? What if money isn't that big of a deal and you just want to show support for the technology and reduce emissions and gas consumption? Just because something doesn't work for you, why knock other people if it works for them.
I agree hybrids aren't the "end" goal, but I think it's a step in the right direction. - crazywarthog, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Remember, if it makes you feel good ...then do it no matter what the ROI is.
You folks are brain dead ! - ElectroBot, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2GM would dominate the Urban car market if they reintroduced an updated EV1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1).
- Geaugan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2But hey, no more dead battery just cause you left the dome light on!
- Jamminn, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I work in the solar industry and what hardly ever gets mentioned is the fact that a lot of cheaply manufactured PV panels produce more carbon in the manufacturing process than you can offset within their shelf-life. Great, eh? This is not true with all PV, however, it is with a lot of them.
Solar thermal or ground source heat pumps are a good way to go. Wind, on a small scale is pointless. Full scale wind farms with huge spans are great but these little ones for homes just dont cut the mustard.
Another issue, depending on where you live is the grants available. In the UK, its a measly four hundred pounds. A _lot_ of the calls i get are from people looking to solar purely for financial reasons; problem is you wont really save money, especially with grants this low. An average thermal panel will save around one hundred pounds year off your water heating bills. Do the maths. - luckyp, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I used to drive my Silverado every day to check on my crews. A couple of months ago I bought a Toyota Corolla which gets a legitimate 32 mpg city driving. This simple change saves me hundreds of dollars a month. I still use the Silverado but only for hauling lumber or horses.
The Corolla is a decent ride, well built and gets great mileage for a much lower price than a hybrid. - Error601, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2A little math will show you this is useless junk. Unless you just want to use it to power a laptop or something. Or maybe the most expensive mini-fridge ever.
- e4digg, on 07/31/2008, -0/+1This is a great idea until you do the math. I am building an all electric car and have done quite a bit of research into using solar cells to increase my range. Unfortunately, even in perfect conditions you would only gain about a mile or two worth of range by putting a solar cell on your car. (assuming a 100w solar panel with 5 hours of direct sunlight) Most electric vehicles will use between 250w and 400w per mile traveled. Using a single solar cell to try and charge an electric vehicle battery pack is like trying to fill a bathtub with an eyedropper.
Any and all are welcome to visit my project's page at http://www.ZeroGasoline.com - trev0006, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1A customer came in with a Prius and i could swear it has a solar roof. http://www.discountpartcenter.com/
- LeeSoong, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1TOYOTA Should Sell this as An Option for every Prius.
http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/
I would like a new 2008 White Prius with the the Cruising package and Solar Roof Option,
AND the Prius+ Plug-In Option please (increases car performance to 100 MPG + )!
http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html
Thank you Toyota! - tardmongerster, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Too bad we are running out of the rare metals necessary to make solar panels.
http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=53155 - DommoOrigato, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Honestly man, if this country entirely switched to diesel a lot of fuel issues would be solved. First off, having a family member who works for BP at a refinery out in texas, I brought up this very issue. Essentially diesel is superior because it requires far less refining than gasoline. Thus out of 1 barrel of crude, you tend to be able to get more diesel, and this can be done more cheaply due to lower distillation costs.
Secondly, the other major issue my cousin brought up was that due to there not being a single standard for different fuel blends(i.e. california requires different gas than say ohio), that artifically drives up costs by acting as a choke point to supply.
Essentially the ideal thing that could happen is gradual shift from gasoline based vehicles to diesels with 1 universal standard of diesel fuel. Say something like 95% diesel 5% biodiesel to meet pollution standards. This would solve many issues. First off less fuel would be consumed, because you get better bang for the buck out of diesel, thus if every vehicle in america was a diesel less fuel would be used simply because less fuel could do the same amount of work. Secondly, import requirements of oil would drop because more out of every barrel of crude would be useful fuel for cars, add on bio-diesel from garbage(know people doing that as well) and diesel looks even more attractive.
However even with increased demand from passenger vehicles, the price of diesel likely wouldn't fluctuate due to the increased stocks of diesel kept in country to maintain more price stability. Consider how slowly diesel prices shift compared to gasoline. Sure prices might go up somewhat, but I doubt they are going to pass up gas prices anytime soon. - drgruney, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You'll just have to put a padded cover on your car like lots of people in my neighborhood.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1And I am NOT suggesting throwing more money at hydrogen power. I am not suggesting cutting off all funding to solar research. Just that if we have spent, say 250 million on solar research over the last decade, that we would NOT autoamtically farther along in efficiency if we spent $1 billion to research it.
drdragun..if you want to pay A LOt more for pretty much every food you buy as more and more fields are converted to produce biodiesel fuel, then so be it.
I am not willing to pay that much more for something that is not that big a step up. Certianly NOt the answer to our problems - 3eeedeee, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1diesels still have pollution issues, and they are still noisy, especially compared with whisper-quiet electric motors. Today i saw a PG&E worker drive by in an electric Toyota Rav4, and it was like it was a stealth car, i didn't hear a thing. Cities would be much more tolerable places if everyone drove electrics.
- DommoOrigato, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Honestly, I don't get the appeal of hybrid cars. They are simply not worth the cash for 99% of drivers. The exception to this rule are where people put on a TON of miles and while doing this are mostly doing city driving(stop and go). The reality is that the savings in gas just don't recoup the immediate premium you pay for the car.
As a senior mechanical engineering student, in my books the best method out there for improving fuel efficiency and saving $$ is simply getting a small diesel economy car. Diesel fuel is typically cheaper than gas, and has a higher amount of energy per gallon. In otherwords if you had two identical cars, with identically powerful engines the deisel will get better mileage by a considerable amount. Typically this number ranges from a 20-30% increase in mileage. For example you can pay 19 grand and get a gas jetta, or you can pay 20 and get a diesel. The diesel gets around 46 mpg, and the gas gets around 31ish. That is an improvement worth buying. Much better bang for the buck than a hybrid. - 81v3d07g0d, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1the return on power collected form solar energy doesnt justify the cost thats why. You know there is something thats really been bothering me lately, besides the prius nearly all hybrids dont offer large enough electic engines to really offer a reasonable addition in mpg. What they do is increase the cost of the car, but do offer a rebate, but they allow the manufacturer to use a smaller gas engine in the vehicle while useing the electic motor to improve acceleration. Point being that these hybrids are for the most part a marketing gimic, I am all for the idea but people are being mislead, and most people arent aware that if you pet an efficent slightly larger engine in a car that is light weight, there are some real gas savings, eg the honda accord vtec v6. But most of all this comes down to the fact that us americans dont want to change, you know that many smaller cars get nearly what the normal prius gets, on only a gas engine. Besides the fact that these cars in general have much better general performance than that of the smaller hybrids. Think about this the toyota carolla get somewhere near 40mpg just as is, when you look at the extra expence of hybrids the savings dont add up. I wish that car complanies and the consumers would get serious about both the enviroment and fuel econemy.
- asnider, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I have to be able to afford my hybrid Escape in the first place before I can start worrying about adding solar panels to the roof of the damn thing. Why do hybrids have to be so damn expensive!
- khyberkitsune, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@Drdragun
Most batteries used in rechargable systems like that are NOT lead acid. Usually they're lithium polymer batteries due to the greater energy density. - twiztedambience, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Wait until the solar panel roof breaks. I'd like to see the expensive roof pay for itself in gas savings then.
Also, only 100 sold? Looks like a lot of kinks will need to be ironed out in the future still.
But this news is much more important for us to push on big car companies rather than buy ourselves right now. Maybe Toyota is reading this...?... -
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