Solar vehicle

Solar vehicles around the world (left to right, from top):

• Aptera, a solar electric vehicle, California
• PlanetSolar, first solar electric vehicle to circumnavigate the globe
• NASA Pathfinder, solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle, Hawaii
• ELSE first solar electric railway, Hamburg

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A solar electric vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic (PV) cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy.

A concentrated solar vehicle uses stored solar energy to run a heat engine, such as Rankine, Stirling or Brayton cycle, of the piston and crank type directly powering the vehicle or a free-piston linear generator (FPLG) powering a hybrid electric car system. ^[1]

The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part of a vehicle's propulsion. Solar power may also be used to provide power for communications or controls or other auxiliary functions.

Solar vehicles are not sold as practical day-to-day transportation devices at present, but are primarily demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises, often sponsored by government agencies. However, indirectly solar-charged vehicles are widespread and solar boats are available commercially.