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AFTER REVEALING ITS own vision for hybrid self-driving cars, Ford’s latest experiment is an electric vehicle that uses sun rays to charge it.
Ford Motors’ C-MAX Solar Energi Concept uses solar panels placed on the roof to charge the vehicle. It uses a special concentrator lens – similar to a magnifying glass – to direct strong sun rays onto the panels.
The lens tracks the sun’s movement from east to west so that it can draw enough power to generate eight kilowatts of power each day. This means that the car can be charged at any time, provided there’s sunlight.
With a full charge, Ford estimate that the car will have a range of 998 kilometers, including up to 34 electric-only kilometers.
The company worked with Georgia Institute of Technology to find a way to amplify the sunlight and make such a concept work for daily use. If you’re in an area with low sunlight, the car also has a charge port built in.
The vehicle will be shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. After the event, the company will begin testing it in a number of real-world situations to help decide whether it would be suitable for commercial use.
(Video: YouCar/YouTube)
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This car will never see the light of day……I’ll get my coat.
They are bringing out a wind-up version for the Irish market.
Seems a bit of a wind-up right enough, John…
I’ll get my coat!
Or a hot air powered one. With charging facilities at government buildings.
Wait until Enda taxes the f*ck out of it
Not funny.
Zzzzzzz
They’ll come up with a software thing that it wont move unless yo fill it with ‘virtual petrol’. The cost of virtual petrol will be mostly Excise duty with the remainder going to petrol pump owners and suitably large incumbent oil companies
Well mad Leo wants to increase road tax to get us all on the bus and train, Never thinking of the shortfall in returns from fuel, road tax, tolls etc.
I think I’ll wait for the new V8 Mustang.
Id say you’d be lucky to get 2 miles out f her these days in Ireland.
There was a recent article about the overuse of words and phrases (obviously not an article on this site)
However ‘il get my coat’ could be an early contender for overuse/annoyance
be better off designing a car that runs on rain for the irish market
If we can work out how to make water combust we’re sorted!
Didn’t you hear, BP scientists created a car that can run on water. But the water has to be sourced from the Gulf of Mexico.
How many people bought a solar charger for their phones and do they know where it is right now :-)
The Nissan Leaf also has the solar panel as an option.
In truth a small strip of PV cells makes little difference in the overall energy efficiency.
Anyone understand this deal with the Leaf where you have to pay $100 a month if you want to keep the thing going? That’s about as much as most people pay for petrol per month so where’s the sense in having to sign a contract if you don’t want to end up crying at the side of the road ?
Battery leasing I think.
(On a full electric car the battery only lasts a few years).
The battery is lasting a very long time in our temperate climate (only issues were in Arizona when the temperature goes above 40 degree and you fast charge the car, not gonna happen here!). Also if the “battery” fails it would be only 1 of the 48 battery module as it is not just one block of battery. It would probably cost a 100 or 2 to change. But again, nobody knows cause many Irish leaf drivers have already driven close to 100k km without noticing any defect or lost capacity. I agree with the leasing part, that’s sh*te. The Leaf is offered as a standard purchase, only the Renault electric car is on lease only. I might add that with the electric car the insurance is low (300 for me per year for fully comprehensive) the service costs are low (half less so far from me, but as there are a lot less moving parts like belts, I’d say it will be better even as the car gets older), the tax is 120 a year, and with the night rat end free public charging my first 10,000 cost me 110 euros! Oh, and the car power and handling and size is comparable to a golf 130hp except silent ;)
Are they planning on launching the car on the Irish market? How long would the sun have to shine in order to charge it up??
Well there is nothing stopping them today from doing it, as said other cars already have it.
It said 8kw per day charging….
I dare say this was under optimum conditions in desert test facility or similar.
So in Ireland… Who knows?
Maybe 2-3kw?….. Which works out at 3-4 horse power…. Barely enough to roll the vehicle forward.
It will get almost all its power from its petrol engine & batteries.
If they could power A car on people whinging about the weather and politics in Ireland you could charge it for 10 years on a single conversation.
Booooring comment!
It’s ok, the Irish version is to be powered by begrudgery and self-loathing.
Be a great seller in Wexford!
Be a great seller in Wexford
Wexford, Ireland’s Florida.:):)
Can you imagine this parked in Dublin i wonder what happens when someone smashes the solar panel….
have your say