With the push for automobiles to go green, harnessing the electrical power while you drive is getting closer than you think. Solar power is there for the taking, but getting it to power your car has taken some time for engineers to develop.
Hyundai has made a break through with its new Sonata Hybrid. This Hybrid has solar panels, which can power a few extra miles of driving a day. The panels are locked on the top side of the vehicle, from the hood, rooftop and trunk lid to help give you those extra miles and keep your batteries charged while you drive. The company claims its shiny photovoltaic top could give the car an additional 808 miles of travel each year.
So they say. But not everyone has the option to park their cars in the sun, or even want to for that matter. Sun damages the vehicles paint and interior when left day after day in the sun in hopes of gaining 808 miles for the year. Not to mention, the panels will add weight to the vehicle which results in lost mileage.
With all the new technology evolving everyday, battery life will increase, but no where near what a full tank of gas or diesel can offer. Electric vehicles take fossil fuels to charge the battery packs. And when the batteries fail, they must be disposed of. Electric powered cars, trucks, and buses are not going away, but going the distance is the name of the game. Let’s see who wins.
Happy Motoring.
