Here comes the sun powered car
1 min read
With all the fuss about solar energy, it was only a matter of time before a car featuring solar panels was unveiled. Ford has done just that at the Consumer Electronics Show, although the model is still at the concept stage.
Say goodbye to the sunroof, however. In its place is an array of solar panels featuring a special concentrator to maximise the amount of energy captured by tracking the sun as it moves across the sky.
The array, in its current format, is said to provide the equivalent of a four hour battery charge. One of the trade offs will be the weight of the solar array against the amount of energy needed to lug it around, but Ford says it could reduce the car's annual emissions by 4tonnes.
Quite how effective such a vehicle might be when running around in a British winter has yet to be determined, but the fact the model includes a charging socket suggests that even in the sunniest climates, the solar powered car may be more of a novelty than a practical development.
