The
solar-powered cars we've seen to date are usually built for just one person -- not very useful when many of us need to carry passengers.
TU/e's Solar Team Eindhoven just brought some much-needed realism on that front by unveiling Stella, which it claims is the world's first solar-powered family car. The vehicle's combination of efficient solar cells with lightweight construction allows such radical concepts as back seats and a trunk while maintaining a 373-mile range. The barebones design won't rival most modern cars for luxury, but it's also energy-positive -- in typical use, it can contribute back to the power grid. You may even see it outside of competitions; while Stella is designed with October's
World Solar Challenge in mind, Solar Team Eindhoven plans to make the car road-legal. Let's hope we catch it putting around Dutch streets.
[Image credit:
Bart van Overbeeke]
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Via: Phys.org
Source: Solar Team Eindhoven (Facebook)
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