SUNRED Solar Powered Scooter Concept
Solar-powered cars and boats are all very well; they've got a lot of surface area to exploit with photovoltaic panels. When it comes to developing a solar-powered motorcycle, though, Spain's SunRED had to get a little more creative. Sliding panels on this soon-to-be-built prototype roll back to give the rider access to the seat, and form a complete cocoon around the bike when it's parked. SunRED 's prototype Solar Scooter will have a photovoltaic surface of around 3.1 square metres when the panels are fully deployed. When retracted, they'll continue to soak up sun and charge the bike, although at a reduced rate. See the photo gallery for a demonstration of how the panels retract. Its dash will feature an LCD touch screen showing information on energy consumption, range and load as well as speed, odometer and trip meter readouts. The motor is mounted in the front wheel hub, eliminating the need for a transmission and the associated power losses