Solar powered cars have been in production now for nearly thirty years. But due to certain limitations they have largely been left to universities and corporations as racing projects and public relations vehicles. The solar powered car, while still holding promise for the future, awaits innovations that will make it a durable, practical, affordable alternative to gasoline engines.

Basically, a solar car harnesses power from the sun in the same manner a photovoltaic (PV) array on a home does. A small array of PV cells is mounted on the roof of the car and is connected to one or more batteries which store the energy and use it to drive the car. Yet there are key drawbacks to solar cars compared to solar homes. Three big limitations for cars are size, weight, and exposure. The amount of solar cells is limited by the available surface area for the entire array, thus reducing the amount of energy available to the motor. Solar cells would need to be much more efficient at converting heat into electricity to properly power the car with such a small array.

Size matters due to the issue of weight. Solar cars need to be very lightweight to maximize efficient usage of their limited power supply. On a solar home, however, size and weight are largely irrelevant factors. The roof of a home is easily large enough to support several PV arrays, which do not weigh enough to compromise the structural integrity of the home.

Exposure is also a problem for solar cars at this time. Granted, a solar car can charge while parked in a lot on a sunny day, which may become a huge advantage in the future. But right now much more time is needed to adequately charge the car and there are seemingly infinite potential obstructions to sunlight for a car in the city. A solar home, with PV arrays on the roof, is gaining maximum exposure and therefore producing enough electricity to power the home, and oftentimes, enough extra to feed energy back into the grid. Solar homes also have the distinct advantage of utilizing both active and passive solar technology.

The future of the solar powered car is by no means doomed or certain in any way. The scientists involved in solar car technology are always working with a commercial vehicle in mind. Plus, there are promising innovations on the horizon that may reduce or eliminate some of the solar car’s limitations. For instance, recent discoveries in plastic solar cell technology may produce very promising effects. In the near future it looks like solar power is most promising for golf carts which often sit unused in the sun for long periods of time.

But don’t give up hope! There is still the very realistic chance that someday you will pull your solar powered car into your solar powered garage, plug it into a solar powered charger for the night, and go make dinner using your solar powered stove.