One brisk fall afternoon, I had a vision of the distant future. I stared at the glowing sun above and experienced an epiphany. It dawned on me that the recent “green” alternative fuel movement in the automobile industry is merely a means to an end. The end is a world full of cars that give off ‘zero’ harmful emissions, yet to reach that end it must be by means of the most energy efficient and cost effective solutions. If natural resources are being depleted then why not use nature’s infinite energy source? After all, the good “green” earth relies on the sun in order to be sustained. Then I spotted it from afar, a car that can run utilizing solar panels to store energy directly from the sun, powering an electric motor, and skipping the entire fuel making process altogether! While this is obviously more efficient than gasoline, the use of solar panels to power cars is the furthest away of all the alternative technologies. Members of the University of Toronto’s Solar and Electric Car Teams were present at the Eco-fest in New York City in late September, showing off their unique experiment.

This car is one of 4 prototypes that are essentially science experiments from the University of Toronto as well as MIT. According to one of the students it can travel at 60 miles per hour, but there is a newer model that can do 80. I’d definitely like to see that with my own two eyes, since this cardboard looking contraption appeared as if it would take off in the air while traveling at those speeds. She also said it consisted of various different and more intricate solar structures underneath the main surface which powered an electric motor of about 3 horsepower. This “car” had a sort of retro look, like something from a bad 1950’s sci-fi flick. The idea of solar powered cars is still a concept, still a science experiment for students, yet so were many of the other fantastic inventions of the world before they were realized. This solar powered structure which rides on paper thin wheels, with a tiny little cockpit for one person, could be a platform for future generations to build upon. While I was writing some of the facts down that one of the students was saying, she made a comment to me that I’ll never forget.

Last update : 03-24-2008 01:22

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