The Disadvantages of Solar Cars

A solar powered car is propelled by an electric motor that draws its power from photovoltaic cells. Although solar cars consume no fuel, produce no emissions and do not require charging from an external power source, there are several disadvantages to them as well.

Expense

• Photovoltaic solar cells and the equipment required to convert sunlight to electricity are expensive. Since most of the surface of a solar car is covered in these cells, the cost of a solar car is much higher than that of a comparable internal combustion vehicle.

Speed and Power

• Solar powered cars are usually designed to accelerate slower and reach lower maximum speeds than their gas guzzling counterparts. While this may not make much difference to drivers during short trips, long drives in a solar car will take considerably longer.

Power Storage and Consumption

• Solar vehicles need sunlight to gather and convert energy. When a solar car is operated in low light conditions or after dark, it begins to consume power faster than it can be replenished. Storage batteries are often built into the design to allow these vehicles to operate without direct sunlight, but the weight of these battery systems really adds to a solar car's total weight. This means that more power is necessary to operate these heavy cars, thereby reducing their overall efficiency.

Maintenance

• Because most of a solar car's surface is coated in exposed solar energy collectors, any impact to the vehicle's surface can damage the solar panels, which are quite expensive to replace and costly to maintain. Rechargeable battery systems are also expensive to maintain, and replacing them when they lose their capacity to hold a charge is another considerable cost.