A Potential Green Vehicle for the Future

One of the best products of the Industrial Revolution that completely changed our lives is the car. With it, humans can travel almost anywhere and for long distances as long as there is land. Unfortunately, to power its engine, a standard car needs to use fossil fuel, an energy source that has been acknowledged as a primary cause of worldwide air pollution.

As an increasing number of individuals are becoming more concerned about taking care of the environment, automobile manufacturers have researched alternative ways to power a car. One of the most innovative options is solar power. Our sun is a virtually limitless source of energy. If this power is harnessed through advanced technology, then, in the near future, we can have cars that are very friendly to the environment.

Solar cars are a hybrid of different technologies that are used in the aerospace, bicycle, automotive, and alternative industries. For example, solar cars are designed with flat-bottomed chassis and curved body casings to reduce air resistance, a concept used in aircraft design. Meanwhile, their light wheels are derived from bicycle-wheel technology.

Today's solar powered automobiles are not yet practical for daily application. That is because the solar car's design is severely hampered by the amount of energy that is needed by the vehicle. For now, they are used as demonstration and engineering machines that are usually sponsored by government agencies or firms. But the potential for utilising solar power cannot be denied, and more advanced solar technology than just photovoltaic cells are now being researched. For instance, a popular car company is now perfecting a technology that will be incorporated into a hybrid car, one that can run on solar energy and gas.