The future of mobility: solar-powered vehicles and charging stations
So far, solar-powered vehicles in mass production are still a thing of the future, although there are already concrete examples that have passed the test of everyday use. In combination with solar-powered charging stations, the concept becomes much more realistic. Currently, various possibilities are being explored and researched to cover the surfaces of vehicles with solar panels to make the vehicle's own power supply as autonomous as possible.
To describe the entire market, in addition to exclusively solar-powered vehicles, there are also partial solutions to support both the automobile sector and the truck, van, and bus sectors. Buses, for example, receive support through solar panels on their roofs. The same applies to vans. While trucks do not have direct roof surfaces, trailers offer plenty of space for solar panels that can be used to generate electricity. With their help, cooling systems, for example, can be operated, or the truck's batteries can be supported.
Solar-Powered Vehicles: An Overview of the Latest Models
Purely solar-powered vehicles have not yet gone into mass production. However, there are various models that are already equipped with solar roofs and thus provide additional power. The models that have solar support and are already available for purchase include the Fisker Ocean, Toyota Prius Plug-In, Genesis Electrified G80, and Hyundai IONIQ 5.
The Role of Solar Energy in Electromobility
Powering electromobility with the help of solar energy is the big goal. Solar-powered vehicles are particularly environmentally friendly, and ultimately it does not matter whether the solar power is available directly on the vehicle or at the charging station. Therefore, solar-powered charging stations are a major topic. However, one of the great advantages of solar vehicles is, of course, their autonomy, which makes the operation of the vehicles not only environmentally friendly but also particularly cost-effective, as less or ideally no charging power needs to be purchased.
Innovations in Solar-Powered Charging Stations
Solar-powered charging stations have the advantage that the electricity is taken where it is produced. Innovative systems can function completely autonomously with the help of efficient storage technologies, making the laying of power lines unnecessary. For remote locations, this is a very good way to guarantee mobility. In this way, islands, mountains, or other regions can be relatively easily equipped with charging stations. If the charging stations are connected to the power grid, they can feed excess electricity into the public grid, thus contributing to the overall power supply.
Advantages and Challenges of Solar Vehicles
The advantage of solar vehicles is, of course, the theoretical self-sufficiency in energy for moving the vehicle, a kind of perpetual motion machine for the duration of the components' efficiency. The challenge lies clearly on the side of energy supply with the help of efficient solar cells depending on the vehicles' power consumption. In addition, there is the purpose of use. For those who only drive short distances, such as commuting to work and running errands without major detours, a special lightweight vehicle with a solar roof could indeed be worthwhile. Fisker, for example, promises an additional range of about 1,500 to 2,000 miles (2,400 to 3,200 kilometers) with the help of the solar roof. That's sufficient.
Case Studies: Successful Implementations of Solar-Powered Mobility Solutions
A successfully implemented concept and therefore a great example of a case study for solar-powered mobility is the motorhome Stella Vita, developed by 22 Dutch students from the Technical University of Eindhoven, with a range of up to 450 miles (730 kilometers), a weight of 1.7 tons, and a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). The vehicle is a complete in-house development and has large solar surfaces that can even be expanded to additional panels when stationary. Two panels can be extended, serving both to generate electricity and as an awning or rain protection. In total, the vehicle has a solar surface of 188 square feet (17.5 square meters). The motorhome is only 6 feet (1.83 meters) high, making it relatively aerodynamic. However, it has a pop-up roof, making camping operations comfortable. The students proved that this concept works on a journey from Eindhoven to Tarifa in Spain, covering over 1,860 miles (3,000 kilometers). Unfortunately, the vehicle has not gone into mass production. The university only makes the findings from the project available to the industry.