More details on Toyota's solar-powered Prius
(Credit: Toyota)We applaud any carmaker that harnesses the power of technology, particularly if it helps fuel economy, makes driving fun, or makes us look cool. That's why we launched the U.K. version of Car Tech.
So our ears perked up when we heard Toyota is upgrading its Prius. Not only will it feature a hybrid electric-gasoline engine and automatic self-parking (see its robot skills in action here), but it will soon get solar panels on the roof to power its air-conditioning system.
That last bit might not sound too exciting, but it has potential. Automotive air-conditioning systems are usually powered by your car's engine, which has to work harder to keep the car moving and its occupants cool. By using a combination of a solar panel and an electric motor, Toyota is able to use the power of the sun against itself, save gas, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
It's a shame that these particular solar panels can't be used to power the entire vehicle, but there is hope: A U.S. company called SEV has already demonstrated a modified, solar-powered Prius that improves fuel economy by about 29 percent. According to SEV, this gives you a daily electric-only range of 20 miles.
We'll have to wait until 2009 to see whether Toyota's implementation makes a real difference, but in the meantime, you can watch our video review of the current Prius here.
(Source: Crave UK)
So tell me Car Makers....Why could you get 90 miles per charge in 1990, but can't do better than 20 miles per charge in 2008???????????
Are you still ashamed that you recalled all those electric cars and CRUSHED them in the desert???
I believe there is only one left in the world, and it's at the Smithsonian in DC, but guess what, GM disabled the car and engine, so it will never start...
Good going GM, you could have changed the world for the better and cornered the car market, but your GREED killed those noble ideas.
While the EV-1 did get more than 90 miles(150 for the final revision), I don't get what you are talking about afterwords. Stop trollling.
The EV-1 was only made to meet CA's zero emissions requirements(that by the mid 2000's, 2% or so of cars sold here would have no emissions). GM was under no obligation to keep them around after the requirement was lifted,and 'cmon, they are in the business of making money and the EV-1 could never be profitable.
And there are a couple more than 1 EV-1 in the world, and the one at the Smithsonian is in storage, replaced by Stanley, the winner of the DARPA Grand Challenge.
And there is the Volt.
If you have a great solution to it, your idea should worth to company millions, billions of dollars and can save the world. Unfortunately, no novel prize winner, MIT professors, or any genius yet found the answer to a perfect engine we only dream about.
http://flarekit.blogspot.com
Re: Redirect your frustration
The fact of the matter is that technology isn't the only limitation when it comes to solar power. If we really wanted a boost, we'd need to dial up Superman and get us a new sun. The fact of the matter is that the amount of light striking the roof of a car from our sun just doesn't amount to much; certainly not remotely enough to power the drivetrain of a 3000 lb. car.
Consider this: The largest solar farm in the United States covers an area of 140 acres (about 109 football fields) and provides only enough electrical power for 25% of ONE Air Force Base's electrical power consumption. Or to put it another way, it is approximately enough power for ~10,000 average US households. During the day. If it's sunny.
Solar power has some problams. Much of it is because of the sun.
solar energy in one square meter of land: 1 kilowatt.
Energy in 8 cubic inches of uranium 235 87 million kilowatts.
So, at theoretical maximum output, you'll need three hours of charging for one hour of realistic operation.
Of course theoretical power output is far above actual. Actual output will be about 1/5th theoretical in the summer at low latitudes. That means 15 hours of charging for one hour of driving.
The math is what it is, and all the wishful thinking in the world is not going to change reality. Like a previous poster said, you want efficient solar, have superman dial us up a new sun.
MIT explains this here:
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21073/
check this out
http://www.uploaded.tv/