14 DAY TRIAL // Not too long ago, a solar-powered family car named Stella successfully completed a voyage between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco in the US.
The vehicle, pictured next to this article, covered the 385 miles (619 kilometers) that stand between these two urban areas powered by sun energy alone.
Needless to say, its achievement just goes to show that, when it comes to transportation, dirty fuels are not the only ones that can get the job done. Hence, there is no reason we shouldn't start phasing them out.
The solar-powered car's makeup
Admittedly, solar-powered vehicles were built before. However, the majority were meant for racing and racing alone. What makes Stella stand out is the fact that it was especially created for road travel.
The vehicle is the brainchild of a group of technology and green energy enthusiasts at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. This group goes by the name of Solar Tam Eindhoven.
According to Daily Mail, Stella is one really plump lady. It tips the scale at about 855 pounds (roughly 390 kilograms). Then again, it does measure an impressive 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length, so chances are that nobody would ever dream to badmouth its figure.
Height-wise, the car is by no means what some would call impressive. It stands just 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall, which means that, more often than not, getting in and out of it can prove quite tricky, the same source explains.
The vehicle's body is chiefly made of carbon fire. It has an aerodynamic shape, which enables it to travel surprisingly fast seeing how all its power comes from sun energy. In fact, the car is said to be able to reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers) per hour.
In case anyone was wondering, Stella gets the green energy it needs to keep up and running from solar panels that are fitted on top of it. Whatever power these panels produce is sent to a lithium ion battery. The car's makers claim that this eco-friendly ride can cover up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge.
Plans for the future
Stella's creators hope that, as some point in the not-too-distant future, four-wheelers like this solar-powered car will become a common sight on roads all around the world.
Thus, they hope that, in a few years, they will be able to start mass-producing such vehicles. Given the urgency to limit pollution in order to put a leash on climate change and global warming, one can only hope that Stella's creators will get to see this dream of theirs come true. Then again, there is plenty of work left to do.
“We think it is possible to make these cars and have them in a showroom in five to 10 years, but it is a big dream and something we have to really work on,” Lex Hoefsloot, manager of Solar Team Eindhoven, explained in a statement.