BMW Solar Concept Car With Air-breaking Wind Flaps!

An interesting new concept car collects power using solar panels and then raises them to help it slow down.

Jeremy Hsu at Popsci.com reports:

"The BMW Lovos has 260 exterior flaps that can collect solar power and act as airbrakes at the same time. The wacky car concept comes from Anne Forschner, a 24-year-old graduate of Pforzheim University in Germany. Each scale-like flap holds solar photovoltaic cells and can move to follow the sun or act as individual airbrakes. We can only imagine that seeing a full-scale version of this car driving around might bring to mind a Beast Machine Transformer, or a ruffled feathered dino made metallic." See full article.

Four-Time World Solar Car Challenge Winner Unveils New Model

Each year there is a 2,000 mile race through the desert to claim the title of best solar vehicle.

Paul Evans for GizMag.com reports:

"The team that won the World Solar Challenge for the last four years running has unveiled its latest solar racer. Like its predecessor, the Nuna5 from Delft University's Nuon Solar Team is covered with six square meters of solar panels but is 30kg lighter at a super low 160kg excluding driver. The solar panels are made up of 2120x Gallium Arsenide triple joint cells with 34% efficiency. These drive an Australian CSIRO developed Axial Flux BLDC in wheel motor that produces 50 Nm of torque at 97% peak efficiency. When the solar cells are producing more power than is required to drive the motor the excess is stored in a 25kg lithium polymer battery pack. The aerodynamic load is approx 1/12th that of a normal road car while the rolling resistance is 1/10th." See full article.