Ford Will Demo Solar-Charged Car At CES

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ford Will Demo Solar-Charged Car At CES

Posted by timothy on Thursday January 2, 2014 @07:49AM from the yes-please-but-also-a-swappable-battery dept.

Lucas123 writes "Ford plans to demonstrate its first solar-powered hybrid vehicle at CES next week. The Ford CMAX Solar Energi Concept car will have 1.5 square meters of solar photovoltaic cells on its roof to generate power to charge its battery. By themselves, the PV solar panels generate only 300W of power — not enough to charge the vehicle's battery in one day. Ford, however, said the car will be coupled with a carport that has solar concentrating lens atop it. The magnifying lens, called a Fresnel lens, will concentrate about 10 times the solar energy so the vehicle can be recharged in a single day — the same speed with which a standard hybrid charges using a plug." (Of course, some charge faster than others.)

5 of 179 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Hope it doesn't melt the car! by DaTrueDave · 2014-01-02 07:50 · Score: 4, Interesting

Stack of pennies reduced to molten nickel by fresnal lens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcL7s9aX494
1. Re:Hope it doesn't melt the car! by Velox_SwiftFox · 2014-01-02 07:54 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Zinc. Melting nickel takes a little more.
2. Re:Hope it doesn't melt the car! by BasilBrush · 2014-01-02 08:00 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Concept cars are never manufactured. But this concept is more ridiculous than most.
  Even if the car isn't melted, it's going to be obscenely hot to get in after a summer day's charging. Even if you can, you'll need most of the stored solar power to run air-conditioning.
  Besides, cars are generally driven during the day, and parked at home at night, when the sun isn't shining.
Re:Do not stare at Fresnel with remaining eye by mlts · 2014-01-02 08:25 · Score: 4, Interesting

I have a few things to add as well:
Solar PV cells don't work well when they get hot, which is why we don't see lens technology on panels unless it is a very small one.
Other than the no-plug aspect, why even bother with this? Instead, make a carport or pole barn, plop some solar panels on that, connect those to an inverter or charge controller, and plug that into the vehicle. It would gain more electricity overall that can be used for the vehicle compared to a Frenel lens series, and it won't fry the cat when he or she plops down by the car for an afternoon nap and the sunbeam shifts, or the vehicle moves back and Pirelli processes Fluffy.
Even better, since the vehicle is likely at an office, add a battery bank. Then, the vehicle can charge a night via just the stored electricity, or a combination of that and mains power.
Dear Ford.... by Lumpy · 2014-01-02 09:05 · Score: 3, Interesting

Stop with the stupid.
The Car port, if covered with conventional solar panels will be a lot cheaper, easier to make, and will not require special manufacturing processes to create special lenses that follow the sun.
Less than 1/2 their price and I can make you a carport that will be double their power with conventional 200Watt panels. Plus require ZERO maintenance except for washing them once a year.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.