Is called Adelie And it is a prototype of solar car designed by the students of the RWTH AACHEN University. The vehicle, 4 meters long and with a weight of 170 kgis covered by 4 m² of solar cells with an efficiency of the 25%capable of feeding it directly. Can reach a maximum speed of 136 km/h and has an autonomy of 700 km. If the light conditions are favorable, the battery recharges independently, without the need for columns or power outlets.
The Adelie project was started in 2015 from the Sonnewagen Teama group of students who work in free time to the development of solar vehicles. The idea is to experience light materials and new solutions to improve the efficiency of electric mobility, as explained Charlotte Teckentrupspokesman for the group:
We wondered to what extent we could go with a car powered only by the sun.
The result is a vehicle designed to minimize energy consumption, exploiting aerodynamics and advanced materials.
Technology and light materials to reduce consumption
One of the key aspects of Adelie is the use of materials advanced and ultralightessential to improve energy efficiency. Coachin addition to financing the project, provided innovative technologies already available on the market, including:
Gianmaria MalvestitiCEO of Covestro, said:
We had the opportunity to see and touch the future. You have the feeling of being in a new phase of development, of living a historical moment, just as it happened with the first planes. What seems futuristic today, tomorrow will be normal for the new generations.
Solar mobility: a concrete idea?
Adelie is not yet ready for the market, but shows that a functioning sun car is possible. During a European tour, the vehicle was shown in different countries, arousing interest in its potential.
Today the electric car They still depend on charging infrastructures, but projects like this raise an interesting question: how far can solar energy really make a vehicle independent?
