More Data Shows How Two Successful (If Slow) Solar Cannonball Runs Went

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Final Up to date on: 14th March 2025, 02:20 am

A yr or so in the past, I wrote a number of articles about makes an attempt to cross america on nothing however solar energy, carried alongside on or within the automobile. Since then, the sluggish tempo and even slower launch of details about these journeys led to me shifting on to different issues and shedding observe of them. On this article, I’ll replace readers on two profitable journeys, even when they took a LONG time.

Why This Issues

At this time, with the ability to cross entire continents is one thing we take as a right, however 100–200 years in the past, this wasn’t the case. Earlier than the primary transcontinental railroad was accomplished at Promontory Summit, the quickest methods throughout the continent have been to both go by wagon or bypass it fully by taking a ship round South America. Both choices would take weeks at greatest velocity, however often months. Many individuals by no means made the journey, dying alongside the perimeters of wagon trails or drowning within the treacherous currents between South America and Antarctica.

Setting information might appear to be a pointless, macho factor to do, however they result in progress. The U.S. navy’s first try and cross a continent was sluggish and terrible, taking weeks, nevertheless it led a younger navy officer named Dwight D. Eisenhower to ultimately push for the development of the Interstate Freeway System we are able to zip alongside on at the moment. Pushing photo voltaic know-how like this gained’t win anyone any velocity awards and even a lot recognition at the moment, however setting benchmarks to beat can encourage additional progress.

The First Identified Photo voltaic Cannonball

Not too long ago, the Energy of Mild YouTube channel, run by Joe Kliewer, put out the ultimate episode concerning the late 2023 journey throughout the nation, together with a map of charging stops and different particulars.

The journey is properly documented, and has time lapses of the entire run, exhibiting that it was a respectable file. However no person was ever more likely to dispute this file as a result of it took nearly two months! The journey began on October 3, 2023, and lasted till November twenty ninth. Alongside the way in which, he stopped at campgrounds at nationwide and state parks, good property house owners’ lands, and even barren desert BLM land in New Mexico to arrange dozens of 100-watt photo voltaic panels. Charging stops took days at a time, and typically even longer when wet climate would stick round too lengthy.

To say that this can be a journey that most individuals would by no means repeat could be an understatement. Needing to seek out locations to cost took priority over mainly every part, together with primary comforts. It might be good if each city had a motel with a giant lot subsequent to it that allowed folks to arrange a conveyable photo voltaic array, however that simply doesn’t exist and doubtless by no means will as a result of there’s simply no demand for it.

The Second Run Was Sooner, However Made Different Large Compromises

In mid-2024, one other workforce made the journey throughout America in slightly below two weeks. However the automobile wasn’t one thing most individuals would think about taking such a visit in. As an alternative of taking a Tesla automobile at speeds one would think about to be freeway speeds, this workforce took one thing that straddles the road between e-bike and automotive. If something, it resembles the solar-powered vehicles that college students have raced for many years. Nonetheless, the Solar Strider was registered in Michigan as a motorbike, in order that’s shut sufficient for a file.

Touring at speeds of as much as 35 miles per hour, all the photo voltaic panels have been mounted to the automobile itself, they usually’d sustain with the motor in lots of instances. The automobile had a 2.9 kWh battery pack and two 3.2 horsepower motors that didn’t survive the journey while not having modified out. Excessive temperatures have been laborious on the electronics and the drivers, as there was no air con.

The place Will It Go From Right here?

At current, it appears cheap to be pessimistic about the way forward for onboard solar energy for autos. Two weeks to cross the nation? On one thing that’s much less nice to experience than a bicycle? Or two months in a traditional automotive? Who desires to try this?

However now we have to keep in mind that EVs, powered by the grid, have been as soon as on such dismal timetables. When the primary makes an attempt have been made to do that in 1968, it took over 210 hours, which might be over two weeks in case you have been to drive 12 hours per day. The EVs of the time have been all conversions with outdated battery know-how, and there was no quick charging. It wasn’t till the 2010s that EV know-how improved and charging stations that would fill ‘er up in a half hour got here out and drastically improved EV freeway journey!

Photo voltaic know-how has additionally come a great distance in that point. The primary photo voltaic cells have been solely experimental, and produced little energy. Effectivity went from nearly zero to capturing nearly a 3rd of the obtainable photo voltaic power. Wanting ahead, 40% effectivity is already within the pipeline, with 50–60% not thought-about unattainable. Researchers assume that as a lot as 90% of daylight might be transformed to electrical energy, however that’s not a positive guess at this level. Even doubling the effectivity of photo voltaic panels would double the velocity of photo voltaic vehicles on such cross-continent journeys.

There’s additionally no rule that claims solar energy has to all the time reside on the automotive. The Cannonball Solar problem (began by the second workforce mentioned above) solely dictates that the automobile be powered solely by daylight, be registered, and comply with the foundations of the highway. Photo voltaic EV charging infrastructure can actually be a part of the answer for EV charging infrastructure, and if sufficient solar-only stations are deployed, it might give photo voltaic Cannonballers a giant enhance in occasions. This wouldn’t be simple for DC quick charging (a giant photo voltaic farm could be wanted), nevertheless it’s inside the realm of the potential with battery storage.

None of that is going to occur in a single day, after all, however neither did EV know-how or photo voltaic know-how. Having the Cannonball Solar as a benchmark for photo voltaic transportation can function a useful gizmo for monitoring the development for such know-how sooner or later.

Featured picture: a screenshot from the primary photo voltaic Cannonball run.