what decade is the solar cars gonna be available?

Answer 1

The ZAP Xebra has a model which is partially solar powered:

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/xebra-xero

But solar technology is not currently sufficiently efficient to power an entire car. It's possible that this will change with thin film solar technology:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AioOleHsKs5_LC7zxZh35PojzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20070827152446AAx9B6y

But I still doubt that it will provide enough power for a car by itself. The ZAP-X will be incorporating solar power-generating glass onto its window surfaces though.

http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/zap-x-all-electric-solar-windowed-super-car-pictures-released/

Answer 2

The "World Solar Challenge" Is having its twentieth anniversary this year. So that would make it 1980's

http://www1.wsc.org.au/

21-28 October A record number of teams will leave Darwin Australia on a 3010 km (1800 mile) race across the continent.

This year the main category rules are that the driver is seated in a more natural seating position. The better cars will travel at close to the 130 km/h (78 mph) speed limit most of the time. The average speed for the winner of the last event averaged over 100 km/h (60mph) the entire distance. (they must obey speed limits, including towns and cities)

There are quite a few high school teams that enter this event and operate on very small budgets.

A well designed car can maintain speeds of 60 km/h (40mph) on as less than 600 watts of power. Cheap 16% efficient solar panels can do this in less than the size of a compact sedan. (Triple layer Gallium Arsenide would do this in half this space.)

It does make a bit more sense for most people to run a small efficient battery electric vehicle. Most people do not jump in the car and drive across a continent. Generally shortish trips.

Putting the solar panels on your house roof, feeding into the grid (via an invertor) will do more for the environment than taking them with you as you drive around.

Answer 3

If you mean a four seater vehicle with luggage space, reasonable safety from a strong (heavy) body and comfort, and capable of 30 miles per hour, the answer is never. It is not possible to collect enough solar energy on a car body to drive a motor powerful enough to push such a vehicle up the slightest hill. This would still be true if solar cells were 100% efficient but even that is flat out impossible.

It is possible to use solar cells mounted on the body to partially charge the batteries of an electric car while the vehicle is parked in sunlight. But the batteries still have to be mostly charged from the mains or from a combustion motor on board the car.

Answer 4

Straight solar might never happen, but you can get an electric car now that you can charge on solar.

In 2010 GM is producing a car called the Volt that I think will change things over toward electric.

While that's not solar it is just one step away. You can charge for your commute from solar, if you have the opportunity.

Answer 5

They exist now, but nobody would want one. Even with the most efficient solar panels you could only get about 1 horse power out of the all the sunlight hitting a typical size car. That is just not enough energy to run a real car. It is only enough for experimental, extremely low powered cars that can only carry 1 person and have no lights, no bumper, no trunk, no A/C, no nothing that isn't absolutely necessary to make the car go. They are not street legal. See the source.

Answer 6

Any electric vehicle can be charged by solar, eg the Tesla http://www.teslamotors.com , 0-60 4secs sports car, (originally made by Lotus in Norfolk UK, but ignored by the UK motoring press ) offer a service to fit solar pannels to your garage sufficient for your daily motoring needs for little more than some people pay for leather seats

putting the solar pannels on the vehicle means extra weight and non-optimum positioning, angles, shading etc.
but see http://www.solarvan.co.uk/ van in daily use

or Solar Prius
http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/wordpress/?p=121

Answer 7

You can get as good a result from an elastic band a cotton reel and a bar of soap,or clockwork

Answer 8

Never --- To produce enough power u would need a trailer the size of a 18 wheeler.

Answer 9

Some are already on the roads but not cheaper and not
affordable by common man.

Answer 10

Never. Solar powered cars have efficiency issues and safety issues. The may eventually get sold somewhere in the world, but never in the US.