Solar Powered Cars and the Essence of a Hypothetical Perpetual Engine
My inspiration for writing this article stemmed from the movie, and now TV series Snowpiercer. While watching the movie, I initially was simply fascinated by the chain of events playing out, and by the seemingly impossible engineering feat, being the train itself, where it was perpetually powered and continuously traveling around the world while the outside was engulfed by chaotic weather conditions.
It got me thinking about the concept of perpetual engines, and how unrealistic the idea seemed. However, I considered the fact that the sun is perhaps one of the most ideal methods of acquiring a perpetual source of power for an engine, as it has already been proven effective to power homes and buildings in general.
Of course a solar-powered engine is not actually entirely perpetual, as it is dependent exclusively on the sun, but with the incorporation of efficient energy storage technology, I don’t see why it couldn’t be somewhat close to a perpetual state (note I am not at all an expert with engines or any of this). So, let’s jump right into a brief overview of what the industry of solar-powered cars has to offer.
Old Idea Made for the Modern Age
The idea of engineering a fully solar-powered automobile is actually not new to the 21st century, but in fact actually dates back to the mid 1900’s, where a miniature wooden automobile with small built-in solar panels was created with little power, but a tremendous goal and opportunity at hand.
The idea of solar-powered vehicles remained a “household project” like this for many years after, slowly being upgraded in size and power, but not near enough to a point where it would be able to overcome the many obstacles that stand in the way of this dream and garage hobby evolving into a commercial product that is able to rival the vehicles we depend on today that are powered by fossil fuels.
However, in recent years, this vision has finally become a reality. This is all thanks to a company called Aptera Motors, based out of California. Naturally, their first project, set to be released in either late 2021 or 2022 depending on its safety assessments and other prior requirements before it can be sold commercially, is an all-electric vehicle powered by the sun.
This vehicle features a three wheel drive-train and PV Cells integrated into the body to allow for solar energy absorption. It draws in less than 100 Wh per mile on average, which gives it a maximum range of about 1,000 miles after being fully charged, which blows every other electric car out of the water. After experimentation, the Aptera team has estimated the average daily range that the vehicle can travel on just solar power to be 40 miles, which is ideal, given that the average consumer drives about 29 miles per day.
How Close to “Perpetual” is this Concept?
With their nickname for the Aptera being the “Never Charge” vehicle, they are certainly reaching for the stars, but what obstacles still lie ahead?
Well, aside from the previously addressed issue involving the sun being a necessity for a state of somewhat perpetual motion, the only severe road bumps that lie in their path seem to revolve around how well this vehicle will present itself on the market, as there is a lot of competition in the electric car industry, and car industry in general, that can make it difficult for the Aptera to make a name for itself, even with its revolutionary design and technology.
However, because the Aptera is sitting below $30,000 for purchase, it is sure to catch some attention. My hope is that the Aptera becomes a hit and takes off strong; if solar-powered cars become the norm, we are sure to make tremendous progress towards slowing down irreversible climate change effects.
References:
[1] www.aptera.us
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2021/solar-car/
[5] https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/aptera-electric-vehicle-never-charge-2877684/
