All automobiles are usually driven by gas. However with the unpredictability of crude oil prices and furthermore, as it isn't a renewable energy source, something have to be done before it is too late. As long as solar power, an environmentally friendly energy source is used to power a community, you can also do this on a smaller scale by using the same principles to construct your own car.
Exactly what do you need to make this work? Many things though the two most crucial would be the solar array as well as the batteries.
The solar array is essential since this is what is used to gather the sun's rays and then convert this into electrical power. There are two types to pick from on the market namely the prefabricated type and the individual type that you build yourself.
Should you be looking for branded parts, take a look at either Siemens or ASE Americas that sell terrestrial grade cells as well as the space grade cells. The lower end model which can create a substantial amount of energy is the terrestrial grade model.
Correct wiring have to be done to ensure that if one of the panels is not working, your car will continue to move. If you're concerned that the voltage of the solar array should match the system voltage of your engine, you shouldn't since it will still run.
We pointed out earlier that the battery is also essential since this is where the solar power will be stored. Your choices for this are nickel-cadmium, lead acid, or lithium-ion. Exactly how many you have to purchase depends on your motor's voltage.
Once you have these two parts, they will now have to be connected to the engine. You probably know how much juice is left in your batteries, you will also have to set up instrumentation exactly like the heads up display console on regular cars which informs you about your speed, distance as well as gasoline.
Remember to put a steering wheel, suspension, brakes, tires as well as hubs. You may be unable to make a vehicle that have the same features as like what you see done by one of the 3 US automakers but simply enough to be able to drive it from one location to the next.
Using solar energy for your car means you do not release damaging substances like carbon monoxide into the air that causes harm to the environment.