"Solar" bikes - the most promising models

The first solar batteries appeared in 1948. And just 10 years later they were used to launch satellites into space (USSR and USA). The idea of ​​making a vehicle powered by free energy had long been exciting the minds of designers. As a result, cars, partially (rarely completely) converted to solar "fuel". However, a car is one thing: its area allows for the placement of many photocells. And a two-wheeled vehicle will run on solar energy? By bicycle or motorcycle have very little area to place photocells in. However, as it turns out, this is not fantasy at all and there have been some successes here.

What is a solar powered velomobile

Most often, this is a mixed design: the bike is equipped with an electric motor, which can be recharged from a regular household outlet if necessary. Photocells are placed in the form of a roof over the bicycle, motorcycle, or integrated into the wheels, frame. Such bikes have their adherents. What are the advantages of this type Transport? There are enough of them:

• ? travel speed reaches 25-35 km/h
  
• ? due to a decrease in physical effort, you can travel a greater distance - up to 100 or more kilometers per day
  
• ? the absence of harmful emissions guarantees the environmental friendliness of the vehicle
  

An example is the peculiar achievement of Guillaume Bruyat, an admirer of a solar bicycle from Belgium, who traveled over 10 km from Brussels to Astana in a couple of months. His bicycle, which he had been building for 2 years, had an electric motor that reduced physical effort. This made it possible to travel 100 km per day and reach a speed of 50 km / h. But these are individual inventors-designers, but what about mass production? It also exists, however, bikes are produced in small batches, sometimes only to order.

Solar E-Cycle

Many people know that the countries where the bicycle is very popular are Holland, Denmark and Belgium. However, in this part of Europe there is one significant disadvantage associated with the use of photovoltaic cells - cloudy weather. Therefore, it is not surprising that the solar-powered bicycle has many fans in southern countries, in particular Africa.



The head of the enterprise, who is Canadian by origin, has already launched 70 solar bikes for testing. Each of them is similar to a regular bicycle, only with a roof on which photocells are installed. Below the pedals is the battery and motor. They produce three- and four-wheeled models, designed for one or two people. In the latter case, instead of a rider, you can transport cargo. On a single charge, the cruising range is 50 km, the speed is 50 km/h. This is a great solution for African villages, where often there is simply no electricity, but there is more than enough sunlight!



The designer also provided for charging from a conventional outlet. And if you want to keep fit, you can put the bike in normal mode and pedal yourself. From the battery of the bike, you can recharge the gadget, power a household appliance (there is a voltage converter). The cost of a solar bike is not announced: it is unlikely that it will be affordable for an ordinary African. But on the other hand, transport can be rented at an affordable price from 0,5 to 1 dollar per day.

Suncatcher "Tourist"

The model is patented (document No. 82640 of 2009) in Russia. Its developers are several people at once: V. Galushchak, I. Bogdanov, S. Petrenok and D. Frolov. The most successful bike "lit up" when it was a bike ride from Volgograd (Mamaev Kurgan) to Sevastopol (Sapun Gora) in 2016.



The design uses a lithium-ion battery, there is a “own” gearbox, moreover, automatic: the bike itself switches to the optimal driving mode. According to the developers, the power reserve is unlimited - the bike will ride as long as the sun shines. Technical details:

• ? dimensions - 1,8x1,1x1,2 m
  
• ? weight - 35 kg
  
• ? payload weight - up to 130 kg
  
• ? engine power - 1 kW
  
• ? battery capacity - 10 Ah
  
• ? "on-board voltage" - 36 volts
  
• ? cruising range at night - up to 35 km, unlimited during the day (one charge is enough for 350 km)
  

The parameters are attractive, if not to talk about the cost. There are offers on the Internet for the sale of "Tourist" for 370 thousand rubles. and more. Rather, this is due to the patent and the fact that there are several authors of the invention.

Solar Bike Fujin

Model from the Land of the Rising Sun, developed by Hama Zero. The design was called uncomplicated: in translation - “Fujin solar bike”. Unlike the traditional use of a special canopy to place the photocells, they went the other way here: they were placed on the trunk and at the back of the electric bike. Technical Parameters of Fujin Solar Bike:

• ? weight - 42 kg
  
• ? lithium-ion battery capacity - 0,94 kWh
  
• ? range on one charge - up to 220 km
  
• ? speed - up to 70 km / h (!)
  

The battery is charged both from the sun and a 220 V household outlet. The cost of a solar bike is not advertised. The company is better known as a manufacturer of ordinary bicycles (price from 30 thousand rubles).

Kvaern

Solar bike from Copenhagen. Initially, this is an electric bike without any frills. But for an extra $449, it can be equipped with a set of solar cells. The bike does not have a frame (underseat frame) in the classic sense of the word. Instead, there are rounded pipes that form a parallelogram. The bike is equipped with a torque sensor that controls the motor depending on the driving conditions (unevenness, ascent, descent, etc.). Specifications:

• ? motor power - 250 W
  
• ? acceleration to “hundreds” of 25 km / h takes 4,5 seconds
  
• ? "on-board voltage" - 36 volts
  
• ? cruising range on one charge - 50 km
  

The cost of an e-bike without a "solar kit" is $1220.

solarbike

The design of the Dane Jesper Frausig, which has not yet gone into the series. However, there are prerequisites for mass production. Externally, the product looks like a classic bike. The battery is built into the thick frame, and the photocells are built into the wheels. To charge the battery, you can either use your home socket or leave the bike in the sun for a few hours. This is enough to drive 70 km. Speed ​​- 50 km / h. There is even its limiter: it sounds strange for a Russian, but in some places in Europe a limit of 25 km / h is set for cyclists.

The prospects for solar-powered bikes

The very fact that such bicycles (with hybrid electric power) are produced, albeit in small batches, speaks of the demand for this type of transport. The same reasons that, for example, slow down the implementation of electric vehicles and cars that use solar energy partially. The problems include the solid mass of batteries, their high price, and long charging time. Photocells and microelectronics also contribute to the cost of solar bikes: in some models, it controls the engine power.