Utilization of solar power has become a hot trend in recent years. To tell in simple terms solar power is nothing but the power obtained from the sunlight. Today, the solar power is used for various applications like water heaters, light bulbs, etc. Solar powered cars are the most recent development in the industry. These cars have photovoltaic panels, which absorbs the sunlight and transforms into the energy required for running the cars.
Utilization of solar energy avoids the needs of gas or fuel, which are not only expensive but also contributes to the pollution. As sunlight is the high renewable energy source, the solar car can help the planet’s environment effectively. The solar panels are highly noiseless and hence they do not contribute to noise pollution. Additionally, these solar panels do not generate greenhouse gases.
However, the solar cars have some limitations. At present, the solar technology for the car hasn’t developed to such as extent that these cars can be used only for traveling a short distance. This is because there the solar panels require lots of sunlight during the daytime for the operation. However, the technology is rapidly evolving that time for making long distance solar cars not very far away.
The engineers and scientist are working hard to make the solar-powered cars predominant in the market for some good reasons. At present, the motor vehicles are the major contributor of the CO2 gas. There is lots of environmental depletion in the process of making extracting the crude and the combustion of auto fuel. This could be averted significantly only making use of the solar energy, which is renewable, non-combustible and pollution-free.
At present, the solar technology, in the USA, is incorporated in racing cars. These cars have smaller cockpits to make the vehicle light and give more space to accommodate the photovoltaic panels, which are very expensive. However, these cars run so fast and do not cause any pollution.
Throughout the world, very few numbers of solar cars were made for general public. However, these cars were a smaller size and would work for a short commute. Some reputable car manufacturers have made the electric hybrid car, which has an optional solar roof that provides power for few miles.
There are few challenges in making the solar-powered cars being ideal for practical use. There are lots of photovoltaic cells required to gather the solar energy required for pulling big cars with many passengers. This is the reason why most existing solar powered cars are able to accommodate one or two passengers. Moreover, the exposure of sunlight is also another bigger concern. Unlike big buildings, it is not possible for a solar-powered car to travel or rest always under the sunlight, thereby limiting the chances of constantly utilizing the sunlight.
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