Solar Cars

    Let's face it, nearly everyone wants a solar car. However, at present, even the fancy ones you see in the solar car races are transferring from sunlight to wheels around the same power that it takes to run a hair dryer...about 1500 watts. A little disappointed? Don't be.

  The SolarTaxi made its way around the world, towing a light trailer with solar panels on it. Please see www.solartaxi.com. "The mission is accomplished: Around the World with the Sun!" The young Swiss adventurer, Louis Palmer explains: "Like so many other things, the Solartaxi also began with a childhood dream. In 1986 - I was just 14 years old - I dreamed of driving around the world with a car on one day, which doesn't destroy the earth at the same time - with a solar car!" Read about his fascinating journey around our world, driven by sunlight.

Another dreamer, Marcelo da Luz - his dream: "to create and build a solar car that would set world distance records." Check him out on the Power of One Solar Car Project.

     The Queen's University RADIANCE  brinkled its way across Canada in July of 2000, visiting most major cities on its way. Radiance  started from Nova Scotia July 1, 2000 and arrived in Vancouver, B.C. July 29th. Back then, the Queens' University Solar Car team set the Guinness world land distance record for solar vehicles.  (Of course, that has been passed several times since.) Using only 1,000 watts of power, they drove 7044 km (4377 miles), at an average speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) . Radiance took second place at both Sunrayce '99 and the 1999 World Solar Challenge in Australia.

Queens University Solar Car team 2003
Queens University Solar Car Team, with "Gemini", 2003
(Photo by: Stefano Paltera / American Solar Challenge)

America Solar Challenge 2005
The American Solar Challenge is normally held every two years within the U.S., but in this special international edition, students designed, built and tested solar-powered cars across the United States and Canada. The 2,500-mile challenge began in Austin, Texas, July 17 and finished July 27 in Calgary, Alberta.

World Solar Challenge
"Known as 'Brain-Sport' the World Solar Challenge participants will traverse more than 3,000km over the Australian continent - from tropical Darwin to balmy Adelaide, in cars powered by nothing more than the sun." The 2011 World Solar Challenge will depart Darwin on October 16.

Stanford University students are hoping for a big win: Stanford Introduces New Solar Car (YouTube, 1:39)

Winston Solar Challenge
["...is an international education program designed for teaching high school students the physics and technology associated with a road worthy solar car." Check out their informative History of Solar Car Racing.


Junior Solar Sprint
is a fun hands-on educational program for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the U.S.A.  Students are supplied with solar panels, motors, and detailed suggestions; and mentored to build and race working model solar cars. Excellent middle school mechanics instructions wrapped around designing and building a solar car. Free downloads in pdf format and animated computer programs.

Building a Model Solar Car HomePage
[Instructions prepared by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society for Junior Solar Sprint cars.]

Chuck Wright's Home Page
Chuck Wright has a site to explore! Check out his energy-use calculators, his inexpensive pyranometer, his detailed notes on Jr. Solar Sprint Cars, and lots more.

Solar Boats

Sunlight on the water-planet...
Your job is to stay afloat and get somewhere. Try a solar boat.

The Story (and History) of Solar Powered Boats

"Solar boats are electrical boats, with independent, quiet and clean engines, whose batteries store free energy from the sun."

For Solar Boats around the world, see theSolar Navigator site.

For Solar Boat Model ideas, see: Plugging into the Sun in the U.K.

 SOLAR SPLASH "...is the World Championship of Solar/Electric boating. It is an international intercollegiate competition that takes place over five days."

Electric Vehicles

SolarChargedDriving.com ("Plugging the World into the Power of the Sun") is a good site for updated solar energy news; and promotes the concept of solar-charging electric cars.

Although not strictly solar, you may be interested in Electrifying Times for zero emissions (depending on their source of electricity) vehicles.

A great site for general information about electric vehicles is ElectroAuto.com. No other electric car company has this depth of automotive experience. No one else has been building electric cars as long."

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revised October 2011