Using Solar Power for Automobiles

In an effort to control environmental pollution, the United States imposed stricter emission rules some time early in the 1990’s. In a concerted attempt to conform to these new standards several research organizations as well as colleges and universities began to consider the potential of using vehicles that were solar powered in lieu of the traditional gasoline powered engines. The set back however was that the solar panels that were needed for powering the automobiles proved to be far too big to be mounted. Around the world, there is continuous work going on in an attempt to make these solar panels feasible for use in running all kinds of vehicles. Looks like the world will have to wait a while, before this goal becomes a reality.

Today everybody is aware of the environmental hazards caused by toxic fumes emitted by vehicles that use gasoline engines. Around the world there is a lot of research in progress to find alternative means to power vehicles using electric and solar energy. Environmentalists everywhere have taken it up as a challenge to find means to reduce the amount of pollution that is caused by vehicles.

In an attempt to encourage inventors to look into constructing solar powered cars, Panasonic Corporation of Japan has, for the past two decades, been offering the attractive Panasonic World Solar Challenge. Up to now, more than 300 solar-powered cars from right around the world have entered and participated in the event. Several people have taken up the task of designing a car that runs on solar power as a challenge and are constantly working on existing models and improving on them. The next Panasonic World Solar Challenge will be held in October 2007.

Basically an educational program, Winston Solar Car team is another organization that is working towards the production of cars that run on solar energy. This organization encourages students all around the United States of America to develop technology to support solar energy in the automobile industry. They conduct workshops; give learning aids to schools and colleges. They also offer a course for a duration of two years, at the end of which students are asked to display the models that they have created.

Ninety schools have participated in a program conducted by the Winston Solar Car Challenge in the year 1995, and in this particular challenge there were nine schools that successfully designed racecars that used solar energy. In the year 1997 the number of schools that participated increased to three hundred and fifty and they comprised of five different countries. In this contest about eight cars qualified to participate in a race in Texas from Dallas to San Antonio measuring 600 miles.

Before solar powered vehicles can actually hit the road, they will have to overcome several hurdles and existing shortcomings. One of the major obstacles in the viability of solar powered vehicles is the ability to run it continuously day as well as night. Considering the whole world is united towards that end, using solar powered cars that are pollution-free looks set to become a reality sooner rather than later.