For commuters worried about rising fuel prices, greenhouse gas emissions and the headache of finding parking, a compact solar-powered vehicle may be the answer -- and could be on the market within a year.
"At a time when carbon emission reduction and fighting global warming are top priorities of governments and people, a wholly solar-powered car would offer a good alternative for the green-minded," the car's research and development team leader, Ay Herchang (
A prototype of the car was inspired by the Apollo, a solar car Ay and a team at National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences built to compete in races such as the Australian World Solar Challenge (WSC), the professor of engineering said.
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF NATIONAL KAOHSIUNG UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCI
"As [our team] has done quite well in the past 10 years at international solar car races -- this year ranking second out of more than 50 cars at the WSC -- we decided two years ago to broaden our advanced solar technology applications and make a car for the consumer market," he said.
The WSC, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, requires participants to race solar-powered vehicles 3,000km across various Australian terrains, he said.
Several obstacles had to be overcome to turn the one-seater solar race car capable of speeds up to 145kph, into a domestic consumer vehicle, he said.
"With added seats and passengers, the car was bigger and heavier, which compromised its speed," he said, adding that driving on the nation's highways would be out of the picture.
A light-weight model is best, Ay said, as it requires less battery power to maintain speed. When there is a lack of sunlight, the car runs on a solar-charged battery.
The final product of the team's tweaking is a 250kg two to three-seater that travels at up to 70kph and comes with a price tag of about NT$800,000, he said. At 3m by 1.3m, it's easy to park, too.
The battery can be charged with just a few hours sunlight and can power the car for three hours.
On vehicle safety, Ay said: "Parts of the car will be made with Nomex honeycomb, a material widely used in aircraft and aerospace components for its high strength, excellent impact and fire resistance as well as its light weight."
Though solar-powered city roamers have already debuted on some European markets, the made-in-Taiwan version is half the weight and costs half the price, Ay said.
"Moreover, in Taiwan, with our abundance of sunlight, this car is a viable solution for us to save gas and the environment," Ay said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their