Hanergy, a Chinese company specialized in solar power, has unveiled four concept cars that use solar panels.
On solar power alone range is about 80 kilometer on a six-hour charge in the sun. The energy is stored in lithium ion batteries. Crucially, these can be charged at any EV charging station for a full range of 350 kilometer.
Hanergy Glory Solar Technology Company, an EV startup proposed the concept of “Plug-In Never” as a way to solve common issues faced by owners of more traditional electric vehicles that heavily rely on charging piles scattered within cities.
Hanergy Holding Group Ltd. (Hanergy) is a Chinese multinational company headquartered in Beijing. The company is focusing on thin-film solar value chain, including manufacturing and solar parks development. It also owns the Jinanqiao Hydroelectric Power Station and two wind farms.
Hanergy – Solar R
Hanergy launches full solar power vehicles that can be commercialized
Hanergy Holding Group, the world’s leading thin-film solar power company, launched four full solar power vehicles at a grand ceremony themed “Disruptive Innovations Drive the Future” outside its headquarters in Beijing on July 2. Over 4,000 guests from all sectors of society attended the event.
A sports car named “Hanergy Solar R” made its debut as Li Hejun, Board Chairman and CEO of Hanergy Holding Group, drove it around the venue in the spotlight. In his speech, Mr. Li elaborated on the advantages of thin-film solar cells such as light weight and flexibility, enabling the cells to be integrated into a variety of products such as cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, mobiles, backpacks and clothes. The full solar power vehicles making their debut showcase the latest achievements of Hanergy’s mobile energy strategy, he said.
Integrated with flexible and highly efficient thin-film solar cells and modules, the full solar power vehicles with zero emissions use solar energy as its main source of driving force through a series of precise control and managing systems, including a photoelectric conversion system, an energy storage system and an intelligent control system.
As Hanergy’s full solar power vehicles acquire power directly from the sun, they do not depend on charging posts and thus have no need to bother with “distance per charge” anymore, making “zero charging” possible during medium and short distance journeys. Breaking the bottleneck of poor practicality of previous solar-powered vehicles, the four launched by Hanergy are the first full thin-film solar power vehicles that can be commercialized, redefining new energy vehicles.
With a conversion rate of 31.6%, Hanergy’s gallium arsenide (GaAs) dual-junction solar cell was awarded with a World Record Certificate by the World Record Association at the launch event.
the Tianjin solar car is reportedly equipped to perform autonomous driving at “Level 4 and above.” The solar module area of this vehicle is 8.1 square meters, far more an SEV like the Lightyear ), which is equipped with 5 square meters of cells… and that’s a lot. Here are some other pertinent specs for China’s first pure solar vehicle:
Seating for three plus a driver
Vehicle dimensions: 4,080 mm long × 1,770 mm wide × 1,811 mm tall (13.4 x 5.8 x 5.9 ft.)
Wheelbase is 2,850 mm (9.4 feet)
Body weight: 1,020 kg (2,250 lbs.)
Maximum daily power generation: 7.6 kWh on sunny days
Vehicle is equipped with battery pack with an energy density of 330 Wh/kg
Max tested range is 74.8 km (~47 miles)
Maximum speed is 79.2km/h (49 mph)
Carbon emissions can be reduced by 25 kg per 100 km (55 lbs. per 62 miles)
Not thrilling specs compared to a solar EV, or any EV for that matter, but still quite impressive considering these numbers come entirely from the sun’s energy.