Solar vehicles at tipping point
Channel: IDTechEx
Date: 2021-02-12

Vehicle designers not yet considering solar bodywork are crazy. The tipping point is with us mainly because single-crystal silicon photovoltaics providing 50% more electricity per unit area is now viable even on the sides of vehicles. In all, three times as much electricity. Adoption is now so rapid that IDTechEx has rewritten its report within a year. "Solar Vehicles 2021-2041 2nd Edition" explains in 260 pages. Mostly, it covers the biggest potential - land vehicles - but it gives latest learnings on water and in the air.
 
See how purchasers of solar on-road vehicles now have a wide choice from solar adding a few hundred kilometers yearly to total energy independence for tens of kilometers. That includes the typical city dweller doing 12,000 km yearly. Never plug in? Escape the tyranny of unreliable, over-busy charging stations with their stupidly different payment means and interfaces? Solar vehicles let you plug in if you need more range but they typically get by on half the battery, reducing problems from that troublesome component too.
 
Suddenly the choice is huge, the sources global. The energy-independent cars range from spartan to designer cars. China offers solar vehicles ranging from golf cars to family cars and people movers but just one brand Economia in Pakistan now offers all those plus an enclosed solar trike. All are made in Pakistan. On the other side of the world, new solar cars include Aptera solar 3 wheeler claiming world record 1600km 1000 miles range on full battery. Globally, solar two seaters are now multiply-sourced.
 
Importantly, solar bodywork is now viable for conventional, hybrid and battery vehicles. Read Hyundai's roll-out. Tesla Cybertruk has solar option demonstrated. Yes, the big names are piling in now, Toyota even working on a further leap in solar range to over 20 km yearly. Many solar boats are there already. Indeed, energy-independent solar electric boats are commonplace and some multi-mode harvesting here has lessons for land vehicles.
 
Trucks now come centre stage with a major program on solar-assisted hybrid trucks headed by Scania, part of VW Group. Sono Motors, with the largest solar car orderbook, has just demonstrated an all-over-solar truck. Solar truck savings will double the typical profit of a trucker. Learn why Sono Motors has licensed its all-over solar technology to a leading robot shuttle maker and Dethleffs sells the format on its recreational vehicle.
 
"Solar Vehicles 2021-2041 2nd Edition" is continuously researched by multi-lingual IDTechEx analysts worldwide. It even explains what happens when the next solar vehicle technologies become affordable on land and it scopes intermediate technologies such as CIGS and OPV being introduced on vehicles.

This presentation shares some of the research from the new IDTechEx report "Solar Vehicles 2021-2041 2nd Edition". www.IDTechEx.com/Solar 

Solar Vehicles 2021-2041 2nd Edition
Energy independence, battery reduction, range increase, photovoltaics, scSi, CIGS, OPV, III-V, structural electronics, solar windows
Vehicles, land, water, air adopt solar bodywork.
By Dr Peter Harrop and Dr Matthew Dyson

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IDTechEx 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idtechex/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDTechExResearch