On 27/06/2010 10:03 PM, Terry wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:44:17 -0400, "J. Clarke"
> > wrote:
>
>> On 6/26/2010 3:11 AM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:08:55 +1000, >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I laugh at those who suggest the electric cars (plug in overnight types)
>>>> are going to solve the emissions problems. You see, all our electricity
>>>> is generated, in my home state at least, by dirty brown coal generators.
>>>> All that's going to happen is a transferrence of pollution to where the
>>>> generators are.
>>>
>>> I don't know about "most people", but my vision of the perfect
>>> electric car has never been a plug in type - it's always solar.
>>
>> So how does that work?
>>
> In theory it works nicely. In practice, not so well. A good rule of
> thumb is one horsepower per square yard of fully-illuminated area. A
> car that requires twenty horsepower---which is pretty low by today's
> standards---needs an area of solar cells at least nine feet by twenty
> feet.
>
> Working solar cars have been constructed. They require extreme
> lightweight materials and aren't well-suited to a Sunday drive with
> the family. More like "one person, 10-20 mph, as long as it's sunny."
>
> Someone may pipe up and say "but you can use batteries and charge them
> when you're not driving". That's done with the experimental cars but
> there's a very carefully-calculated tradeoff in weight and
> performance. Take a look at this car:
> http://www.speedace.info/solar_cars/..._road_test.jpg
> Not much room for anything but a driver.
>
> Best -- Terry

I'd be hoping those solar cells absorb a lot of the heat! It could get
rather oven-like in that thing!

Krypsis