Taiwanese solar car may not appeal to the fashion conscious

Anyone can claim to be a friend of the environment while proudly jaunting about in a sporty Tesla, so what really separates the hardcore greens from the Hollywood posers is the willingness to shell out nearly twenty-five grand for a no-frills, no hype (and no doors?) solar-powered runabout. It must be this dedicated demographic that a team of builders and racers from Taiwan's National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences are targeting with the vehicle you see above, which is based on their successful design that ranked second of fifty cars in the latest Australian World Solar Challenge. Unlike their single-passenger, 145kph (90mph) race car, however, the multi-seat commercial ride is speculated to max out at around 70kph (43mph); fine for short city commutes, but not really practical for road trips (and with the three-hour battery, forget about cruising around much at night). Still, those ready to fork over an estimated 800,000 New Taiwanese Dollars ($24,617) for a vehicle that only a short-sighted mother could love should be able to order one as early as next year -- probably not tomorrow, though.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[Nick @ Dec 31st 2007 1:46PM]

Something with those specs would be perfect for my d2d commute. Then I only need to roll out my Jetta when I roadtrip. No more weekly re-fueling stops FTW.

[Josh @ Dec 31st 2007 1:54PM]

wow... looks like a concept golf cart. You don't even have to be fashion conscious to think its ugly. That things an eye sore.

[James Cameron @ Dec 31st 2007 1:56PM]

These nerdy students should at least find themselves a better designer for their car for their presentation. Look like a golf cart.

[Justin @ Dec 31st 2007 2:01PM]

Does the look of the thing impact its function? No? That's right.

[Big Mike @ Dec 31st 2007 2:56PM]

Erm, actually it might. The lack of design suggests that a material hasn't been chosen to produce the beast. Not knowing how the thing is to be made would directly affect the weight, size and performance.

[Justin @ Dec 31st 2007 3:01PM]

Perhaps, but it doesn't follow logically that something being not that easy on the eyes stems only from a total lack of design process. It could just as easily be a design process that didn't care about the aesthetics of the thing, or that these aesthetics actually enhance the features the design team wanted to accentuate.

The only way to know for sure is to have been on the team, and I'm guessing you weren't, or your answer would have been more definitive.

[Big Mike @ Jan 1st 2008 2:21PM]

Quite right, I wasn't on the "design" team.

However, my point was that even the most utilitarian things have an aesthetic that is developed through how they are manufactured.

The design will have an affect on how it is made; how it is made will have a direct affect on the performance.

[VicD @ Dec 31st 2007 2:19PM]

Could be a useful thing to have when the vampires take over the world and you're the only man left.

[mmh @ Dec 31st 2007 2:21PM]

Wow, does it even have windows? Or is that their way of addressing the (lack of) energy-sucking a/c? I suppose they figured that if you're going to buy a solar powered car, you're not going to drive this out when it rains, eh?

[Andrew @ Dec 31st 2007 2:25PM]

My only major concern is that gigantic A-pillar and the subsequent visibilty problems. Besides that, it's just really bland, I wouldn't say it's as ugly as, say, any given Pontiac on the market today.

[mmh @ Dec 31st 2007 2:36PM]

Hey you're right, it's missing rearview mirrors. Maybe that's why it's doorless/windowless... it's designed so that you can stick your head out at all times, and dive to safety when necessary.

[Abuzar @ Dec 31st 2007 6:58PM]

The GTO is a nice looking car...

[Cedric @ Dec 31st 2007 7:44PM]

@mmh: "it's designed so that you can stick your head out at all times, and dive to safety when necessary."

So a golden retriever designed it? Cool. :D

[HaPPI @ Dec 31st 2007 2:43PM]

Homely, yes. Impossible to get in and out of, yes. But FINALLY someone is getting it, that every EV and plug-in hybrid should have PV panels on the roof. Even if it only provides 100 watts, its the best way to get zero-carbon mileage. Well done!

HaPPI

[Ricardo @ Dec 31st 2007 3:01PM]

It would be nice though if they added headlights, mirrors, windows, steering wheel, seatbelts... you know, things that are usually found on a car.

[silverblackvoid @ Dec 31st 2007 3:33PM]

the reason it doesnt have steering wheel, headlights, mirrors, windows and all that normal car stuff is because its special. you need to drive it like Fred Flinstone style! yaba daba doo!

[schmolch @ Dec 31st 2007 4:02PM]

Remember this whenever you hear about solar cars:

Bullshit

Sunlight has at most 1kW per square meter, and thats before clouds, low panel effiency and only in summer.

What remains is 100-200W if you are lucky, and better panels won't increase this number to anything usefull.

Build big solar plants or put panels on your roof, thats great.
Solar cars however will never exist because it doesn't make sense.

[H4MM3R @ Dec 31st 2007 4:05PM]

Golf Cart

[John @ Dec 31st 2007 4:23PM]

Change title. Should read:
Taiwanese solar car may not appeal to the conscious

[Cant Breath @ Dec 31st 2007 4:55PM]

Anyone who's been to Taiwan knows that dark gray dust settling out of the air would shut down the electrical production of those cells before you could shout "Hung How!".

[Rocketboy @ Dec 31st 2007 9:16PM]

*pssstt*
It's only a model...

*klunk*

[CaliforniaKid @ Dec 31st 2007 10:00PM]

You couldn't design anything more ugly if you tried.

[hotwings1 @ Jan 1st 2008 5:12PM]

Has potential as a golf cart.

[fred @ Jan 1st 2008 4:48PM]

it would be more honest to call it a deluxe golfcart