STELLA, THE WORLD’S FIRST SOLAR-POWERED FAMILY CAR

[Ethnod]

 

To think that just 10 years ago we had solar powered machines that could barely do a race, the contest was finishing. Now we are looking at a family car that can seat 4 people that can do up to 500 miles in 1 charge. Technology is advancing quite nicely

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM44jOZ9P-0#t=20

 

 

 

Source:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/stella-worlds-first-solar-powered-family-car-just-conquered-californias-highway-1/

http://blog.nxp.com/taking-a-ride-at-the-speed-of-sunlight/

https://news.yahoo.com/electric-family-car-goes-500-miles-charge-powered-191926008.html

[Rorgash]

 

To think that just 10 years ago we had solar powered machines that could barely do a race, the contest was finishing. Now we are looking at a family car that can seat 4 people that can do up to 500 miles in 1 charge. Technology is advancing quite nicely

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM44jOZ9P-0#t=20

 

 

 

Source:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/stella-worlds-first-solar-powered-family-car-just-conquered-californias-highway-1/

http://blog.nxp.com/taking-a-ride-at-the-speed-of-sunlight/

https://news.yahoo.com/electric-family-car-goes-500-miles-charge-powered-191926008.html

 

just sucks how you cant use it to drive to work early in the morning, or most of the time in winter.. also you have to clean it ALL the freaking time since the cells will get dirty just like any car, so yea except for the insane amount of issues with solar power that makes it pointless at this and most stages.

[Mo5]

Perfect car for the Atacama desert

[Lavachyste]

What's the deal with the shape of it?? It's nugly as fuck. The tech is cool though, let's see where it brings us.

[dizmo]

Cool tech, but I would absolutely hate to get into an accident with that.

I don't think cars like this will really have a place until self driving cars are the only form of vehicle on the road.

[Sharif]

Its a bullet train without tracks 

[Dude]

Oh dear fucking God, what in the name of fucking Hell is that thing?

[murratri]

This is FABULOUS! /sarcasm

[cluelessgenius]

right there in that handicaped spot is where that abomination of a car belongs ...cool tech but fuck my life if i am ever seen in one of those things.

[KieranFretwell]

right there in that handicaped spot is where that abomination of a car belongs ...cool tech but fuck my life if i am ever seen in one of those things.

I know right, some of us have reps to uphold. 

[JAKEBAB]

I wouldnt drive that if i was payed to! Lol that thing is so ugly it looks like a whale!

[CtW]

*insert reference to how this is tearing me apart or something related to a streetcar named desire

[cluelessgenius]

I know right, some of us have reps to uphold. 

yeah try acting all gangsta in that thing with hydraulics and boom box in the back...ridiculous

[Gloxxy]

Looks really practical for a small family of dwarves.

[Mooshi]

I never knew my cousin was a solar powered family car, holy shit.

[lttiscancer]

just sucks how you cant use it to drive to work early in the morning, or most of the time in winter.. also you have to clean it ALL the freaking time since the cells will get dirty just like any car, so yea except for the insane amount of issues with solar power that makes it pointless at this and most stages.

except tropical countries, southern us states, most of south america etc. can use this year round. 

 

It's a good design.

[ANUPLUCIFERGAMER]

Fuck the car. The stupidest thing is the name they have. Seriously? STELLA? 

[MEC-777]

It's a step. A very ugly step, but a step none-the-less. 

 

Problem is we need vastly more efficient solar panel technology to make something like this far more practical.

 

I think most, if not all houses should have solar panel roofs to not only off-set and reduce the strain on the power grid, but to be used to charge electric cars once they become more popular - which they will.

 

The internal combustion engine has it's days numbered. It's over a century old and has not changed on a fundamental level and despite all the technological advancements, is still very inefficient.

[Toddwjp]

OI Stella get us a pint love

[frostin1990]

This is a car?it looks like a boat.

[Tech_Dreamer]

Cool car to drive through crip neighbourhood with the family in the middle of the night...

[Electrostatik]

Of course, it doesn't look at all like a car anyone with eyeballs would put their family in

[Heisenbleurgh]

Not exactly the way I want my car to look but that's very exciting, this is awesome. Fingers crossed for either a better design or the solar power getting implemented into other cars

[KeltonDSMer]

The problem with solar cars is the limitation of the sun itself. Even with ideal conditions on the ground, the sun "only" puts out 1000 or so watts per square meter. A 100% efficient photovoltaic cell (we have %20-%25 on the high end) would still not yield enough useable power. Let's say the top of that car has a 4-5 square meter surface area for PV cells. That would mean the sun is hitting the roof with 4000 or so watts of power.

 

Okay now take that 4000w and make it 1000w because of PV efficiency (25% is very generous). One horsepower is 750w, so this solar array is capable of maybe 1 1/3hp of output.

 

There can be lots of improvements with efficiency on the PV cells and the other systems, but at the end of the day the solar output here on the ground simply isn't enough to power a car. Even if every bit of radiation from the roof of the car is successfully converted (not even close), it takes more than a few horsepower to merge a family car on to the highway.

[Lord Pantaloons]

If you have kids, I doubt you would find that is suitable as a family vehicle.