Challenges to Practical Use of Solar Cars

With the growing concern to save the environment from total destruction, several measures have been put forward to address and resolve pollution problems.  There are large-scale measures such as the protocol among nations to reduce their carbon emissions.  There are also individual-level measures being promoted such as the segregation of solid waste at home.  In the field of transportation, the efforts are largely on the use of alternative sources of fuel and solar-powered vehicles.

Sad to say, the practical use of solar cars on a day-to-day basis remains a challenge for both scientists and engineers.  Solar cars can really propel the energy conservation efforts because, instead of using gasoline, they make use of the energy from the sun.  Through some customised batteries and solar panels, the solar energy is converted into electrical energy to run the automobiles.  It is a cost-efficient way, in theory at least, because solar energy is available whole year round.  The main problem is that there is no such battery yet that can tap sufficient sun heat to run cars.            

Another major concern is to find lightweight materials to use for solar cars.  The materials should not be heavy so that the cars would run efficiently.  Consequently, the perfect designs for solar cars are still being studied by researchers.  Furthermore, there is also the concern that these cars should have special roads for themselves - precisely, the roads must have smooth surfaces.  It is no wonder that the current solar car models are mainly utilised for exhibition purposes and solar car races.  With the growing advancement in technologies and continued efforts, however, it is widely believed that it is only a matter of time before solar cars become a regular sight in our streets.