Jump-Starting the Solar Car

In recent years, I hear more and more about developments in solar cars. I also hear frequently about solar car races [South Africa'08, North America'08, Australia '07]. Encouraging as these developments are, we desperately need a way to get these cars widely adopted and out onto the streets.

My vision is probably influenced by my life in a small Californian city and the ways of people here. In the recent times of energy crisis and skyrocketing gas prices, people are readily exploring alternatives such as scooters, mopeds, electric cars and small efficient cars. They are giving-up the comforts of large luxurious, air conditioned cars. A couple of recent articles on cheaper solar cars (in fact, hybrid ones running on solar energy mainly) really sparked hope in me - these solar cars would be ideal to try out in smaller cities.

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As I understand it, one of the biggest hurdle in the solar car becoming a reality is the cost: solar cells are too expensive to be practical. On the other hand, “necessity is the mother of all inventions.”

India is at the forefront in design and development of cheaper solar cars.

The same is true about the solar car development.  Gogoi’s Kanso solar car, a solar hybrid running essentially on solar energy, with its low manufacturing cost of $3,000 (1.5 lakh rupees) or Ahmed’s solar car $2,000 (1 lakh rupee) are certainly options worth a closer look.

One of the solar cars–Kanso from Guwahati, India–is held back from street-usage by red-tape due to an overly complex and time consuming process to obtain road transportation office permissions. Last year the Indian solar car (made by DCE students) failed to make it to the South Africa race due to a paucity of funds. I see it as a shared global benefit if anyone, anywhere can find a cost-effective solar alternative.

By contrast, small Californian cities could be a fertile testing ground for solar cars.

Generally the city-administrations are very cutting-edge and open to new ideas. They also have considerable flexibility in their workings. Also, the residents here are generally very environmentally aware. In fact, they will even suffer some inconvenience for the greater good.

A few years back, I was impressed by Sparrow users when I discovered the trials involved in using this small electric car. This three-wheeler, single lamp, single-seater, tiny car (obviously lacking luxuries like AC), did approximately 25 miles in one charge. It is primarily a surface car. Yet it is ideal if your one-way commute is not more than 25 miles (as an owner told me, the car charges quite well in the 8 hours at work for return) or for running errands.  Both of these types of travel make up most of a person’s weekday mileage. Green cars leave their owners feeling good with respect to their economy and environment at the end of the day.

>>Read more about green cars around the world.

In our Bay area communities, those who have traded their larger luxury cars for much smaller, more fuel-efficient (or sometimes electric) cars are not doing it only to save a buck; they are environmentally aware and want to make a difference.  To me, the low-cost solar cars with a range of 30 mile (about 50Km) seem ideal for trials in small California cities. I do wish there that Kanso could be brought to California and tried-out.

I am not only hopeful on account of individuals using the solar car, I am also hopeful that the cities subscribing to car share type of programs will find it useful. Car-share program seeks to encourage the use of public transportation or biking and walking by making a shared car available to individuals for short city (or even cross-city) runs when they need it. The solar car would be a much superior alternative, underscoring the city’s own environment and energy consciousness.

Photo Source: Kanso Solar Car: Picture from India Today

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