There have been many attempts to make the ultimate solar-powered vehicle. A team from Tianjin in China created a solar vehicle that runs only on energy from the sun. How is the Tianjin solar car, China’s first solar-powered car, performing?
China’s first solar-powered vehicle
Tianjin is not the first Chinese solar-powered vehicle but the first to rely only on solar energy. Back in 2016, a Chinese company Hanergy showcased Solar-R, but the vehicle was equipped with a converter and a battery pact, so it was not the country’s first pure solar-powered vehicle.
The Tianjin Solar Car debuted at the sixth World Intelligence Conference and started a tour around mainland China. China’s first pure solar-powered vehicle was developed in five months by 42 companies and three universities. It features multiple state-of-the-art technologies.
Specifications of China’s first solar-powered vehicle:
- Seating for three plus a driver
- Driver’s area: touchscreen display and three buttons
- Level 4 autonomous driving
- Body weight: 1.020 kg (2,250 lbs.)
- Vehicle dimensions: 4.08 m long × 1.77 m wide × 1.811 m tall (13.4 x 5.8 x 5.9 ft.)
- Wheelbase is 2,850 mm (9.4 feet)
- Maximum daily power generation: 7.6 kWh on sunny days
- Vehicle is equipped with a battery pack with an energy density of 330 Wh/kg
- Carbon emissions can be reduced by 25 kg per 100 km (55 lbs. per 62 miles)
- Max tested range is 74.8 km (~47 miles)
- Maximum speed is 79.2km/h (49 mph), which is faster than most Chinese Mini EVs.
The Tianjin car, produced by Tianjin-based IAT Automobile Technology, is perfect for urban environments in areas where it is sunny on most days. Currently, this type of vehicle can be used in limited areas.
The vehicle is proof that it is possible to construct and run vehicles purely on solar energy efficiently. The Chinese have a great significance in Electric Vehicle adoption. The possibilities for a future powered entirely by a natural source of clean energy are exciting.
Main image: CnEVPost