One more cool interview, re: solar powered car

dpakman91 · 09-29-2006, 09:19 AM

I'm going to be speaking with one of the main guys behind this project:

http://www.xof1.com/

open to any ideas for questions...

DosEquis · 09-29-2006, 11:47 AM

Would a solar car be more suited for highway or city transportation?

What are the biggest obsticals preventing solar powered vehicles from becoming an alternative vehicle?... What can be done to over come those things?

Publius · 09-29-2006, 11:48 AM

Have they been approached by the major automakers yet with buy-out efforts?

That's the m.o. of the major auto companies... they buy out these projects and then just sit on them.

dpakman91 · 09-29-2006, 01:00 PM

interesting, i will ask about both of those things.

Nonphixion · 09-29-2006, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

Have they been approached by the major automakers yet with buy-out efforts?

That's the m.o. of the major auto companies... they buy out these projects and then just sit on them.

Or shred them, as they did with the electric cars.

Publius · 09-29-2006, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Nonphixion

Or shred them, as they did with the electric cars.

Same basic idea ... mothball promising projects to maintain the status quo.

Nonphixion · 09-29-2006, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

Same basic idea ... mothball promising projects to maintain the status quo.

Yes, I will have to agree. But it still is quite shocking how they went about it -- buying back your own product and then destroying it just because this specific advantage threatens the fossil-money.

motivez · 09-29-2006, 03:01 PM

I'd ask what the advantages of solar power vs electric are. Might seem obvious, but maybe not.

I'd also ask about the energy requirements of creating the solar panels and whether or not that is more or less expensive than traditional methods + gas/hybrid cars

Ardentfrost · 09-29-2006, 03:12 PM

Yeah, certainly ask them about the economical advantages or drawbacks of solar panels... if it were economical, wouldn't we see more solar panel farms in America?

DosEquis · 09-29-2006, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Yeah, certainly ask them about the economical advantages or drawbacks of solar panels... if it were economical, wouldn't we see more solar panel farms in America?

I think part of it has to do with efficiency. I think the solar panels today are only capable of turning "X" amount of energy and in order to be more effective they need like 10 times the energy. I also think it has to do with battery storage. If batteries can hold more energy longer, it would help out the solar panels as well.

Ardentfrost · 09-29-2006, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

I think part of it has to do with efficiency. I think the solar panels today are only capable of turning "X" amount of energy and in order to be more effective they need like 10 times the energy. I also think it has to do with battery storage. If batteries can hold more energy longer, it would help out the solar panels as well.

although I see what you mean, even if it were 2% efficient, it's pulling free energy out of the air. I think it's more that it's cost prohibative to make the panels than anything else.

And the battery thing, yeah batteries suck, but I'm talking about power company using solar power... they store energy creating by turning turbines by water or whatever else, they can do the same with solar panel farms.

ballz2wallz · 09-29-2006, 03:47 PM

Has he been involved with the solar car competitions that MIT often enters in?

dpakman91 · 09-29-2006, 04:15 PM

i saw another interview with this guy. i think he said that solar panels of a certain size (i think 1 meter x 1 meter) CAN producer 1000 watts of electricity per unit time, but that they have only been able to get 150, and therefore are only at 15% efficiency so far.