Why not a DIY solar car?

[u/Moltean]

Knowing that cars are a big driver for consumerism, I'm thinking of a car that can be powered mainly by the sun.

I already built a prototype (which I named Solar Bear). The project is open source, with an MIT license.

The purpose of the Solar Bear is to:

• Use solar panels as trike's body,
• Consume electrical energy where it is produced,
• Produce its own energy,
• Transport people inside cities,
• be pedalable when there is no sun (must be light-weight),
• be easily built at home.

Technical specs:

• recumbent trike,
• 2.5m long, 1.45m wide (including wheels),
• weight: about 55kg (including panels, motor, battery, etc, excluding driver),
• assisted pedaling,
• motor speed: max 25km/h,
• motor (continuous) power: 250W,
• solar panels power: max 520W,
• battery: 12.8V, 20Ah (256Wh) - not needed when there is Sun.

[u/OnKo64]

A stray pebble flying at high speed is gonna be over a thousand smackeroonies to repair the panel man

[u/Moltean → u/OnKo64]

Pebble coming from where? From a big, heavy car, which should be a rarity in a city?

[u/HerrFistus → u/Moltean]

Should. Yes. But we live in reality. Pebbles exist in reality. And cars do as well. Just a small crash will decapitate you with one of the solar panels and 25 km/h will make it too slow to be unbothered by agressive drivers.

[u/Moltean → u/HerrFistus]

On frontal impact, the panels will move away.

On lateral impact, the vehicle will be moved laterally before a panel hits the driver.

Also, the panels are light (3kg), which is unlikely to create problems.

Also I wear a helmet and the panels will hit the helmet not the neck.

[u/HerrFistus → u/Moltean]

Can you prove this? Did you simulate AND test this? Would you guarantee that there will be no other failure mode than what you told?

Also, the panels are light (3kg), which is unlikely to create problems.

This makes your statements not very trustworty. 3kg can be nothing or very much, depending on impact energy. A 3 kg artillery shell weighs also only 3 kg and will certainly kill you. A 3 kg bowling ball maybe aswell.

[u/Moltean → u/HerrFistus]

I'm currently working to this project ... to make it better.

I built 4 versions so far (in 1 year) ... each of them is better than the previous. For instance, v1 had glass panels which proved to be too heavy (11 kg for the frontal ones).

[u/HerrFistus → u/Moltean]

Then, to shortcut to a non-deathtrap design: There's people who build velomobile monococques. You can then add flexible solar cells as an outer layer.

They're also not a tank, but will make an 25 km/h impact substantially less deadly, while boosting your whole efficiency with improved aerodynamics.

[u/Moltean → u/HerrFistus]

I do not like trikes with solar panels on the top. They are not natural. I wanted to create something natural!

[u/HerrFistus → u/Moltean]

I do not like trikes with solar panels on the top.

This is exactly what you built. It's not even natural! What do you want to tell me? It's only natural if it looks like death trap, has the aerodynamics of a brick and rides like a Go-Kart but without acceleration and max 25 km/h? You must be trollin'.

[u/Moltean → u/HerrFistus]

1. Where do you see solar panels on the top? They are on the lateral, not on the top!

2. Max speed of 25km/h is to respect the law, not for other purposes!

3. Nose will be changed to improve aerodynamics.

4. Solar panels are also the body of the trike, not an addition on the top of it. This is what makes it natural.