electric commuter vehicles

adamsopt · electric commuter vehicles

It has been a constant irritant of mine that when I go to sunny countries such as Spain, Florida etc, they spend an awful lot of time shading their vehicles from the sun. Why can't they stick a couple of solar panels on the top of something like a golf buggy, and use then as commuter vehicles. Let's face it, most of our cars spend probably 90% of the time sat on the tarmac doing nothing, when they could be re-charging their batteries.
I know that these might not be much use in this country (especially here in the dampish North West), but perhaps it takes an outsider to see the blindingly obvious!
comments invited!

admin

I guess it all boils down to cost and imagination. There are a few solar cars out there with integrated solar panels on their roofs which i've found on web searches but mainstream is probably years away.

Solar panels on car roofs charging internal batteries or even grid connected when parked at docking stations, their electricity being exported for all to use. This is one of those wonderful visions of the future i often have in my more optimistic moments!

IMO the more solar panels we see as we go about about our daily lives the more likely this will be a reality sometime.

Dominic

I think we also have to get away from the car being a 'status' symbol or an extension of ourselves!

Getting away from this view of the car and seeing the 'car of the future' as purely a part of an integrated transport system. Using a car for just short trips makes battery/solar powered cars a more viable option.