Solar Panel Cars - What is your opinion?
By sonja22
@sonja22 (16)
Bulgaria
April 23, 2008 6:11am CST
I recently watched a video on youtube about this new technology for cars. For about $2,000 you can add a solar panel to the roof of your car and hook it up to a battery. They say you can travel for about 6 miles (not going over 40 mph) each day not wasting any gas. According to my calculations you'll be saving around $18 a month. But there would be no C02 emissions, which is a big plus, especially in metropolitan cities.
What do you think the future of this technology will be? Do you or someone you know have it? And how much money can it really save me?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@mark17779 (667)
•
23 Apr 08
It all depends where your from really as not many countries have alot of sun to charge the battery.
I personally think it is a waste of money as you have the initial $2,000 to pay and can only get 6 miles at a time. What if there is no sun, how much electric would it cost to charge the battery (this creating polution itself).
It would be interesting to know how long a single battery would last before it need's dissposing of and then how much it would cost to disspose of it properly.
@sonja22 (16)
• Bulgaria
23 Apr 08
Very good points, Mark! I just researched and found out that the life of a solar panel is up to 20 years. I don't know if the panel can be broken easily. I guess you can't use your garage because the battery has to get charged.
I'm really optimistic that they will continue to develop this technology, because as robsbrooklyngirl said gas prices are ridiculously high!
@mark17779 (667)
•
23 Apr 08
Without drifting away from your post to much.
There are allready alternative fuel's to petrol such as diesel, slightly more expensive than petrol yet last's longer. Lpg is half the price of petrol and last's longer (sure there is an original out lay but you can recoup that in a year easily). I think that solar power should be used on house's at the moment untill technology makes it a bit more viable and you could get more than 6 miles per charge.
@alpha7 (1910)
• France
8 Feb 09
I think it's not a big deal,especially when you consider the rate at which you must drive,no more than 40Mph,it is a good invention for the retired people,soprry to say!
I personally prefer the water for fuel Technology,co2 is not emmitted either with this method and it's cheaper than the $2000 anyway,what you will only do regularly is to check the water lever at all times.
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
17 Jul 08
wow $2,000 for the solar panel is really a good deal. i wonder when it'll be available in my country. here where i am renewable energy is not really a big thing. there even isn't any solar panels available commercially.
but think about it, 6 miles is not really a lot of distance. i think i'd travel about 8 times that everyday just going to work and coming back home. the no CO2 emissions part is great. but will they produce a battery with a bigger capacity?
