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Casting a quick glance at the pros and disadvantages of solar power cars being manufactured today already explains why they did not reach the mass-production stage yet. With further research, however, it is hoped solar power cars might provide the solution to fossil fuel driven vehicles.

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Flaws of solar powered cars

We could say that solar power cars are self-contained solar power systems that combine the use of solar energy and normal electric power for charging the batteries. Hybrid cars are generally driven by the power of a battery and also some kind of fuel like conventional fossil fuel gas or ethanol.

These first solar powered cars have some limitations

Restricted charge capacity - The solar power system of most solar power model cars fails to meet the demands of drivers because of its unsatisfactory absorbing capacity. In some cases, these vehicles can only go a few miles before their charges wear out. Hybrid cars can cover more miles because they are built to burn gas too. But hybrid systems lose many of the environmental advantages associated with a solar powered car based exclusively on the sun’s renewable energy.

Reliance on electric charging - Due to the fact that you cannot always count on the sun’s energy to charge the batteries, you cannot manage without some conventional electrical power. You need it to increase the capacity of the solar battery charge.

Speed of solar powered vehicles - We find some difficulties in the solar power cars manufactured today that concern the maximum speed. Most solar cars are designed to be street legal; however, they cannot usually make more than 40 miles (64 km) per hour. This is one of the main reasons why solar cars are not widely used yet.

Advantages of the solar car

Nobody would deny that solar power cars are still in need of quite a lot of research and development, but the idea behind them is certainly appealing for the majority of the population. The lucky day when we can drive a solar powered car that runs faster and can cover more miles than now, we will all be able to enjoy the following rewards:

A significant reduction of the negative influence on the environment – Contrary to gasoline vehicles, solar power cars do not eject the greenhouse gases produced by burning engines.

Savings on gas - The day we can drive a cost-effective solar car model we will be able to cut down a noteworthy amount of money on gas expenses.

As we have seen, it is not yet possible that everybody drives a solar power car. Despite some flaws, however, this concept is gaining much attention. We cannot help but think that solar power cars will be the vehicles that we will see speeding up on the highways in a not-so-distant future.