Solar

The biggest issue with getting people to convert to purely electric vehicles is the charging process. It can take a very long time to juice up their battery packs, and sometimes it’s hard to find an available charging station when you need one.

One of the holy grails for electric vehicles is the ability for cars to leverage solar energy for recharging their batteries. However, most applications of solar panels on EVs have been for providing power to less energy hungry systems like the radio and heated seats.

BMW has recently introduced two electric cars, both of which are great cars in their own right: the smaller and more practical pure electric BMW i3 and the performance-oriented, plug-in hybrid BMW i8. To complement these two new cars, BMW has unveiled a conceptual solar-powered charging station, the Point.One

While we’re a long time away from electric vehicles completely replacing fossil fueled cars, EVs are certainly here to stay. One of the benefits of electric power is that it can actually be generated using zero-impact solar energy.

Sunswift took on the challenge of setting the record for the fastest electric vehicle over a distance of 500 kilometers. The team of students from the University of New South Wales in Australia is Australia’s premier solar car team, having competed in the biennial World Solar Challenge for many years.

Electric vehicles are clearly here to stay, but even today’s cheapest all-electrics cost nearly $30,000, and most of them cost significantly more. With that in mind, one enterprising student in Nigeria decided to build his own electric car – and this one can run on solar or wind power.

BMW’s DesignworksUSA group is showing off their lightweight concept design for a solar-powered charging carport. We prefer it with the BMW i8 parked inside, but the smaller i3 is also a great car and looks right at home under the canopy.

Technology continues to advance in the areas of solar power, smart roadways, autonomous vehicles, and electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. One ambitious couple, Scott and Julie Brusaw, are hoping to bring many of those technologies together in the form of Solar Roadways, with the help of an Indiegogo campaign.

Ford continues to explore opportunities to power its vehicles using electricity. Now, the company is showing off a new variant of its C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid subcompact that can be charged using the power of the Sun, allowing it to operate completely off the grid.