Solar vehicles

[frosty]

wow ! just got this in my email from of all things the No US bases list :roll:

havent fully checked the site out yet but it sure looks interesting

http://www.solarvehicles.org/pages/1/index.htm

[Jez]

Thanks Frosty - 34kmh is not too bad when you consider it's constant while you're moving...I wonder if that varies wildly up a hill though? :lol:

These will be pretty good in cities - a few people will make money in the near future doing tours with fleets of them I'd reckon!

Could you see yourself using it Frosty? The biggest one seems to have decent tyres on it for getting around...

I'd like to take one of these http://www.renewables.com/Permaculture/ElectricTractor.htm for a spin...be handy on a decent sized property for lots of jobs.

[frosty]

wow (again ) I want an electric tractor !

I could see us using a solar vehicle for short distances except for being out in the open and subject to spray drift from veggie farms :cry: but thats just weird old me ........ and in a perfect world or when we run out of oil there wont be any sprays 8)

it would be faster than a horse and cart :roll: although the shopping trip to the city for food would be an overnighter ........

but as you say they would be idea for cities and idel for people who cant ride a bike

of course I already have my own personal little "electric vehicle" to get arround our block ( wheelchair ) :lol: :lol: but its not solar powered :? yet ............ 8)

I just wish it was 4wd :roll: cause I always get bogged

frosty

[christopher]

Jez and Frosty,

Oooh, coo-o-o-oool! How'd you like one of those? I could plug it into my house system when its batteries were full....

GE made electric garden tractors in the 70s, wonderful little tractors that ran off of common golf cart batteries. They aere very common, and they still run. They can be charged from soar panesl direct, too. Home Power did an excellent article about them a few years ago.

Apparently you can still find them and get them cheap. Often they only need new batteries.

They came with all kionds of attachments, too.

See http://www2.ald.net/~roden/ev/pages/et.htm

Anyway, if you can find one, get it.... I'd love one, but too hilly here....

Best,

C

[hedwig]

seams interesting, but I dont't understand well the site - are they selling (then where and how much?) or are they developing?

[christopher]

Hi Hedwig,

If the site you are talking about is the old GE site, no they are not making them anymore, and the site is enthusiasts. No one is selling them (too bad as it was a good invention, and, from what I have read, well built).

The other one is, I think, a concept vehicle for a comapny that would like to make them available, but hasn't yet (?).

This page discusses cost: http://www.renewables.com/Permaculture/ ... rSpecs.htm (http://www.renewables.com/Permaculture/ETractorSpecs.htm)

You going to get one?

C

[hedwig]

I would like to have a hybrid solar car with four seats and some space for luggage.
Hybrid means solar and the four seats to padal. So we could easy drive where we want to without polluting.