1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren vocal bomb. Here. There may be no 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: such thing as a free lunch, but what about a 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: free ride. I think of how awesome it would be 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: if your car could keep running without you spending a 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: dime on fuel. If you drove a solar powered car, 7 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: that dream could be a lot closer to reality. Much 8 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: like solar powered homes, solar cars harness energy from the sun, 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: then converted into electricity. That electricity then fuels the car's 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: power train, which is similar to the combination of an 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: electric motor and battery based energy storage that drives modern 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: hybrid cars. Solar cars can accomplish this through photovoltaic cells. 13 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: These are the components in solar paneling that convert the 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: sun's energy to electricity. They're made up of semiconductors usually 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: made of silicon, that absorbed light. The sunlight's energy then 16 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: freeze electrons in the semiconductors, creating a flow of electrons. 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: That flow generates the electricity that powers the battery or 18 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:09,639 Speaker 1: the specialized motor in solar cars. The earliest solar cars 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: were d I y jobs of the nineteen seventies, mostly 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: designed and dissembled in car enthusiasts garages. Several organizations also 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: experimented with race cars designed to take advantage of solar power. 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,839 Speaker 1: The World Solar Challenge began in nineteen three and races 23 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: about three thousand kilometers or miles across Australia every two years. 24 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: The American Solar Challenge started in nineteen nine and follows 25 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: a route across North America that changes almost every year. 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: These helped engineers understand the potential and the limitations of 27 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: collecting and storing solar energy, maximizing aerodynamics, and identifying other 28 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: challenges to running a car powered off of the sun. 29 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: As for major auto manufacturers contributions to the field, Ford 30 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: and Mazda notably both introduced solar hybrid concept cars in 31 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: the mid two thousands, and Catillac designed a concept car 32 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: that used solar panels to help power accessories like interior 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: lighting and audio, which typically draw off of a car's 34 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: electrical system and thus in turn contribute to fuel consumption. 35 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: And none of these concept cars made it to production, 36 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: which means they were never available to consumers, and after that, 37 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: investment in solar car technology more or less when dark, 38 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: at least as a mainstream pursuit. But in the meanwhile, 39 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: many automakers have shifted development resources toward making hybrid and 40 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: plug in hybrid cars more practical, efficient, and affordable than ever. 41 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: So is it time to give solar cars another shot? 42 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: The new generation solar cars that are on the horizon 43 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: are more like hybrids that add solar power to the mix. 44 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: It's now less about making these solar panels themselves better 45 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: and more about the fact that hybrid and electric cars 46 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: and their infrastructure is better. In other words, it's easier 47 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: and more affordable than ever for consumers to go buy 48 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 1: an electric or hybrid car, and these cars are more efficient, 49 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 1: easier to charge, and have fewer compromises overall than e 50 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: vs and hybrids of just a few years ago. That 51 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: means there are more people who could potentially take advantage 52 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: of solar power to run a car, and that solar 53 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: power will literally go farther than it would have in 54 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: the past. And that said, solar panel technology has improved too. 55 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: It's more affordable and easier for most consumers to incorporate 56 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: into a home update. But solar powered cars still have 57 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: a long way to go. It's unlikely that we'll see 58 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: a car that can be fully powered by a solar 59 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: panel that's been integrated into the roof, because a panel 60 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: that size is just too small to produce the power 61 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: needed for a car. Energy Stage, a company that helps 62 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: consumers research and shot for solar technology, estimates that a 63 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: car completely covered in solar panels, not just the roof, 64 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: could only power an electric car for a maximum of 65 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: twenty five miles or forts a day, and that's assuming 66 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: weather and other conditions are absolutely perfect. Yet, Energy Stage 67 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: argues that a solar panel that gives a car a 68 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: boost of just a few miles a day would still 69 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: be worth the investment, and several automakers are investing in 70 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: the technology. High tech company light Year released two light 71 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: Year research vehicles to test its integrated solar technology on 72 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,799 Speaker 1: the road in June. Of The company says it's preparing 73 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: to begin production on an exclusive series of cars equipped 74 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: with its solar technology by the end of one for 75 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: delivery in two Toyota is testing a version of the 76 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: Prius with an integrated solar roof in Japan. This demo version, 77 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: which is not for sale, can charge the car while 78 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: it's being driven. It's earlier version could only charge while parked. 79 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: Sonata Hybrid, however, is available to American consumers and comes 80 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: with a solar roof panel that recharges the car's batteries. 81 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: The roof panel generates enough electric power to increase the 82 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: car's driving range by about two miles or three kilometers 83 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: a day, and the Testlas cyber truck, which was unveiled 84 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: in November of twenty nineteen but isn't expected to be 85 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: released until two has an option for solar panels, even 86 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: though CEO Elon Musk has previously said that solar panels 87 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: on cars are too inefficient, and that brings us to 88 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: the question of whether or not the extra cost of 89 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: adding solar panels to a car is worth it. For example, 90 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: cars in sunnier locations and cars that are parked outside 91 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: rather than in a garage will generate more solar power 92 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: and offer more of a financial benefit to owners, but 93 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: it still remains to be seen whether the financial costs 94 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: to automakers will be beneficial enough to produce them. Meanwhile, 95 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: there are d I Y solar panel kits available that 96 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: are designed to contribute to powering the battery of an 97 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: electric or plug in hybrid car via the homes charging system. 98 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,359 Speaker 1: Similar aftermarket kits are offered and marketed as ways to 99 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 1: help power r vs or trailers. They can also be 100 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: used to collect and store energy for camping accessories such 101 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: as tents or cooking setups like those designed to mount 102 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: in the bed of a pickup truck. Today's episode is 103 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: based on the article Solar panels are Slowly making their 104 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,119 Speaker 1: Way on Cars on house toff works dot com, written 105 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: by Kristen Conger and Sres three Wi. Brain Stuff is 106 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff 107 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. For 108 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 109 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.