Extra Information Reveals How Two Profitable (If Gradual) Photo voltaic Cannonball Runs Went

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Final Up to date on: 14th March 2025, 02:20 am

A 12 months or so in the past, I wrote a number of articles about makes an attempt to cross the USA on nothing however solar energy, carried alongside on or within the car. Since then, the gradual tempo and even slower launch of details about these journeys led to me transferring on to different issues and shedding monitor of them. On this article, I’ll replace readers on two profitable journeys, even when they took a LONG time.

Why This Issues

As we speak, having the ability to cross complete continents is one thing we take as a right, however 100–200 years in the past, this wasn’t the case. Earlier than the primary transcontinental railroad was accomplished at Promontory Summit, the quickest methods throughout the continent had been to both go by wagon or bypass it utterly by taking a ship round South America. Both choices would take weeks at greatest pace, however normally months. Many individuals by no means made the journey, dying alongside the edges of wagon trails or drowning within the treacherous currents between South America and Antarctica.

Setting data could appear like a pointless, macho factor to do, however they result in progress. The U.S. army’s first try to cross a continent was gradual and terrible, taking weeks, however it led a younger army officer named Dwight D. Eisenhower to ultimately push for the development of the Interstate Freeway System we are able to zip alongside on right now. Pushing photo voltaic know-how like this gained’t win anyone any pace awards and even a lot recognition right now, however setting benchmarks to beat can encourage additional progress.

The First Recognized Photo voltaic Cannonball

Just lately, the Energy of Mild YouTube channel, run by Joe Kliewer, put out the ultimate episode in regards to the late 2023 journey throughout the nation, together with a map of charging stops and different particulars.

The journey is nicely documented, and has time lapses of the entire run, exhibiting that it was a reputable report. However no one was ever more likely to dispute this report as a result of it took virtually two months! The journey began on October 3, 2023, and lasted till November twenty ninth. Alongside the best way, he stopped at campgrounds at nationwide and state parks, good property house owners’ lands, and even barren desert BLM land in New Mexico to arrange dozens of 100-watt photo voltaic panels. Charging stops took days at a time, and typically even longer when wet climate would stick round too lengthy.

To say that it is a journey that most individuals would by no means repeat can be an understatement. Needing to seek out locations to cost took priority over mainly every little thing, together with primary comforts. It might be good if each city had a motel with a giant lot subsequent to it that allowed folks to arrange a conveyable photo voltaic array, however that simply doesn’t exist and doubtless by no means will as a result of there’s simply no demand for it.

The Second Run Was Quicker, However Made Different Huge Compromises

In mid-2024, one other crew made the journey throughout America in just below two weeks. However the car wasn’t one thing most individuals would think about taking such a visit in. As an alternative of taking a Tesla car at speeds one would think about to be freeway speeds, this crew took one thing that straddles the road between e-bike and automotive. If something, it resembles the solar-powered vehicles that college students have raced for many years. Nevertheless, the Solar Strider was registered in Michigan as a bike, in order that’s shut sufficient for a report.

Touring at speeds of as much as 35 miles per hour, all the photo voltaic panels had been mounted to the car itself, they usually’d sustain with the motor in lots of instances. The car had a 2.9 kWh battery pack and two 3.2 horsepower motors that didn’t survive the journey while not having modified out. Excessive temperatures had been laborious on the electronics and the drivers, as there was no air-con.

The place Will It Go From Right here?

At current, it appears affordable to be pessimistic about the way forward for onboard solar energy for autos. Two weeks to cross the nation? On one thing that’s much less nice to experience than a bicycle? Or two months in a standard automotive? Who needs to do this?

However we’ve got to keep in mind that EVs, powered by the grid, had been as soon as on such dismal timetables. When the primary makes an attempt had been made to do that in 1968, it took over 210 hours, which might be over two weeks in case you had been to drive 12 hours per day. The EVs of the time had been all conversions with previous battery know-how, and there was no quick charging. It wasn’t till the 2010s that EV know-how improved and charging stations that might fill ‘er up in a half hour got here out and drastically improved EV freeway journey!

Photo voltaic know-how has additionally come a great distance in that point. The primary photo voltaic cells had been solely experimental, and produced little energy. Effectivity went from virtually zero to capturing virtually a 3rd of the out there photo voltaic power. Trying ahead, 40% effectivity is already within the pipeline, with 50–60% not thought of unimaginable. Researchers suppose that as a lot as 90% of daylight could possibly be transformed to electrical energy, however that’s not a certain guess at this level. Even doubling the effectivity of photo voltaic panels would double the pace of photo voltaic vehicles on such cross-continent journeys.

There’s additionally no rule that claims solar energy has to at all times stay on the automotive. The Cannonball Solar problem (began by the second crew mentioned above) solely dictates that the car be powered solely by daylight, be registered, and comply with the principles of the highway. Photo voltaic EV charging infrastructure can actually be a part of the answer for EV charging infrastructure, and if sufficient solar-only stations are deployed, it may give photo voltaic Cannonballers a giant enhance in occasions. This wouldn’t be simple for DC quick charging (a giant photo voltaic farm can be wanted), however it’s throughout the realm of the attainable with battery storage.

None of that is going to occur in a single day, after all, however neither did EV know-how or photo voltaic know-how. Having the Cannonball Solar as a benchmark for photo voltaic transportation can function a great tool for monitoring the advance for such know-how sooner or later.

Featured picture: a screenshot from the primary photo voltaic Cannonball run.