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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS