This makes the Tesla roadster look like the bargain of the century. In a somewhat related, minor thread jack, I had the opportunity to sit in a Tesla last weekend (at Maker Faire of all places) and now I want one (the Lotus chassis and the 276 ft/lb (375 Nm) @ 0-4500 rpm are also quite attractive). Is something wrong with me?
Where the solar panels? Does anyone realize how big they would have to be to power the car for say 50 miles?
Typically the best you can do with a solar panel is about 12 watts per square foot (maybe there better solar panels now). So just to power a 100 watt bulb for an hour would take about a square yard of panels.
One hp requires 746 Watts. So let's say you want 20hp, it is going to take 14920 Watts. If we divide 14920/12 we get 1243 square feet of solar panel. The square root of 1243 is about 35. So you would need a 35 foot X 35 foot panel just to generate 20 hp on a perfectly bright sunny day with the sunlight at 90 degrees to the panel. When one considers the inefficiency of charging a battery, well things get even worse.......
Protosscar? I'd much rather have a Zergcar. You could grow it in your basement, fuel it by feeding it garbage and parts of the neighbours, and no-one would ever cut you off. Plus, once you've researched fast metabolism, they're rocketships.
I think they should call it "Lamprey" -- you know, because that's an eel. Like electric eel. But lamprey eels are actually parasites. With special no-jaw mouth parts. Because, of course, they suck.
@franzouse: Yup. They just hooked it up to solar panels to charge it.
If you want to get technical, then, the V8 in my car drinks liquid dinosaur, and those dinosaurs were plant-eaters or plant-eater-eaters way back in the day. And those plants were solar-powered! So my V8 is solar-powered. *nods*
I did an ePRS (US Patent No. c11077983) on the first press release they did about this thing.
I am not going to do another one.
The interwebs tubes are getting clogged with all these automotive-related press releases. Especially ones about mythical electric cars that run on the sun, polar bear tears, and unicorn farts.
I counted 34 instances of the word "charge" (and its variations) in that press release, and only 6 instances of the word "drive" (and its variations). Which one do you think you'll be spending the most time doing in this car?
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
Typically the best you can do with a solar panel is about 12 watts per square foot (maybe there better solar panels now). So just to power a 100 watt bulb for an hour would take about a square yard of panels.
One hp requires 746 Watts. So let's say you want 20hp, it is going to take 14920 Watts. If we divide 14920/12 we get 1243 square feet of solar panel. The square root of 1243 is about 35. So you would need a 35 foot X 35 foot panel just to generate 20 hp on a perfectly bright sunny day with the sunlight at 90 degrees to the panel. When one considers the inefficiency of charging a battery, well things get even worse.......
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
I'm hoping NAF is like DAF's Norwegian cousin and not what came up in my google search.
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
If you want to get technical, then, the V8 in my car drinks liquid dinosaur, and those dinosaurs were plant-eaters or plant-eater-eaters way back in the day. And those plants were solar-powered! So my V8 is solar-powered. *nods*
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
Solar-powered? Seriously?
Whats next? Hydroponic?
You can't even smoke it.
06/05/09
06/05/09
06/05/09
03/04/09
I am not going to do another one.
The interwebs tubes are getting clogged with all these automotive-related press releases. Especially ones about mythical electric cars that run on the sun, polar bear tears, and unicorn farts.
03/04/09
03/04/09