Has Ford Created a Dependable Solar-Powered Car?
The Ford C Max has been a favorite among car buyers looking for hybrid technology and better fuel efficiency, so it make sense that Ford would choose this car line to test out its new solar energy concepts. The result is a car that may perform better than the average electric car. While it is still in the concept phase, it is showing much promise as a viable option for solar-powered travel in the future.
The new Ford C-Max Energi features solar panels on the top of the vehicle, which can charge the car’s lithium ion battery. Perhaps the most notable feature on the car is the solar panels, not for how they look, but how they blend into the car. Other attempts at solar panels for vehicles have resulted in large, protruding panels that made cars impractical. The C-Max Energi simply has panels built into the vehicle’s roof, and are practically indistinguishable from the rest of the car.
Adaptive technology will help to pilot the car in the direction where it will receive the most sunlight. So, if a car is parked under the shade of a tree, sensors in the car will roll the car slightly forward to attempt to receive more sunlight. Though this technology does pose a few problems, the engineers are working on viable solutions to make the car’s ability to seek sunlight a reality.
The Ford C-Max isn’t going to replace the plug-in electric car soon, but solar power could be the future of the electric car once Ford works out all the bugs in this new solar car.