SOLAR ENERGY: Solar Powered Vehicles - Where are we up to?

Image by Fan of FOTC via Flickr

Solar Powered Cars - A Work in Progress by Russell Hancock

When Henry Ford invented the first automobile during the Industrial Revolution, he managed to provide a more convenient means of transportation that could get anyone to their destination with relative ease and comfort. This invention ultimately changed the course of history forever.

Today, it is impossible not to see a car anywhere. It has become one of the most common forms of private and public transportation. The performance of the engine, features, and overall design of cars has come a long way from the first unit developed by Henry Ford. Many of the original concepts and basic engine designs that were developed by Ford have remained intact, including the fuel used to power the engine. However, the changes in the world today have forced a new breed of automobiles to be developed and slowly introduced into the public market. One of these unique breeds is the solar-powered car.

Why the Need for a Change?

The cars of today are currently being fueled by either gasoline or diesel, which are both petroleum products. These fuels were utilized by Henry Ford as part of his design for the first automobile that was invented at the turn of the century. He never realized the effect that this choice for fuel would have on the environment. In fact, it was only a few decades ago that scientific studies conducted on the earth's atmosphere determined that the smoke emitted by automobiles is one of the primary culprits in the degradation of the earth's atmospheric layers.

On top of all this, there has been a growing concern over recent years that the supply of oil is rapidly decreasing. This has caused many car manufacturers to head back to the drawing board in attempts to conceptualize a new breed of cars that can travel on alternative sources of energy.

The Solar Car

Solar energy has long been used as an alternative source of energy that can provide electricity to homes and business establishments through a process known as the photovoltaic effect. Car manufacturers have taken the concept of solar panels being able to convert the sun's energy into a form of electrical energy to power up homes and applied it to their own automobile designs. They have been successful in developing the solar powered car.

Just like homes and business establishments now tapping into the power of the sun as an alternative source of energy, solar cars use a series of solar panels that allow the energy of the sun to be harvested and then converted into electricity. This converted electricity is then used to power the car.

Currently, solar powered cars are extremely wide and relatively slow compared to conventional cars that we see on the street everyday. As such, solar powered cars are still a work in progress and are still considered impractical for everyday use. However, it will only be a matter of time before solar cars will be replacing conventional cars on the road. In the near future solar powered cars will provide the same luxury and convenience as the cars of today, yet we won't have to worry about the source of fuel or how our car negatively affects environment.

There is no question that alternative energy IS the future and the future is right now.

You can generate you own energy for a lot less than you think! AEG features reviews on popular Do it Yourself Alternative Energy Guides.

Learn to build solar panels, and wind-powered generators for a fraction of the cost of an installed system.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Hancock
http://EzineArticles.com/?Solar-Powered-Cars---A-Work-in-Progress&id=1942765