MANUFACTURE AND EVALUATION OF HYBRID CARS USING SOLAR CELLS

This article describes the design and operation of a Japanese hybrid car that operates both on gasoline and solar electricity. When the car reaches a certain speed, the gasoline engine starts and the electric motor is disengaged from the driving shaft which enables the car to travel like gasoline-powered cars. Advantages of this hybrid vehicle are: (1) Since the gasoline engine is used to drive it, the car will not have the problem of an over-charged battery; (2) Since the use of the motor is limited to the low-speed range, a high-output motor is not needed, thereby allowing use of smaller motors; (3) Hybrid cars, even when stuck in traffic, will not emit exhaust; (4) Cost is estimated to be only 1.4 times that of ordinary cars; and (5) Hybrid cars use less power than do conventional electric cars.