VW Bus EV conversion with solar roof

[Daox]

I got this in an email from HomePower. Its a very neat conversion. I'm guessing the guy bought a kit designed for a VW Bus considering how 'easy' it was to do. I wish he mentioned the cost of it. But, overall its quite the interesting conversion.

MAILBOX: Solar Bus | Home Power Magazine

[deejaaa]

and......
The price for all of this re-engineering? An estimated $200,000.

[BlueFoot]

It's cool, but I think it hangs over way too much. Wouldn't that be a big hit on aerodynamics? I don't have any experience with solar cells but wouldn't a product like this make it possible to make it flow with the shape and use a lot more of the surface instead of just the roof? Amazon.com : Uni-Solar PVL-136 Power Bond PVL 136 Watt 24 Volt 216" x 15.5" inches. Flexible Solar Panel. Easiest to install Peel & Stick. : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[UFO]

Originally Posted by BlueFoot

It's cool, but I think it hangs over way too much. Wouldn't that be a big hit on aerodynamics? I don't have any experience with solar cells but wouldn't a product like this make it possible to make it flow with the shape and use a lot more of the surface instead of just the roof? Amazon.com : Uni-Solar PVL-136 Power Bond PVL 136 Watt 24 Volt 216" x 15.5" inches. Flexible Solar Panel. Easiest to install Peel & Stick. : Patio, Lawn & Garden

It's hard to make a VW bus less aerodynamic.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by UFO

It's hard to make a VW bus less aerodynamic.

With a 0.44 CD, it's really no worse than a lot of much newer vans, SUVs and pickups.

Driving the car at highway speeds (it can go 80 miles per hour) requires much more power than what the panels can generate in full sun.

My guess is the solar panels don't make enough power to run continuously at 10mph.

It's a specialised vehicle, drive a short distance at low speed to work, leave it parked all day. If the battery were depleted completely at the end of a journey, it wouldn't be ready for a return trip for quite some time.

[EVmetro]

Alternative energy is a fantastic way to power an EV. The catch to the deal, is that alternative power needs to stay home, and should not be attached to the EV. One should unplug from either the power grid, or from their alternative energy source, and then drive away unencumbered, for maximum fuel efficiency. There is not enough surface area on that vehicle to harvest enough meaningful solar energy energy to use. The EV will consume more energy carrying those panels than those panels will produce. That sure is a nice looking bus, other than the solar array. Load some lithium into it, and drive the you know what out of it!

[Frank Lee]

1966 Volkswagen Bus Runs Entirely on Sunshine | Clean Energy Collective



This pegged my B.S. meter.

"Converted to EV in an afternoon"

The biggest flag is a dope who has so many kids that he needs his own bus to transport them thinking he's "green"- unless they're adopted (it didn't say).

[Frank Lee]

Even more, including a solar bikini:

Offbeat & Off the Grid: 15 Mobile Solar Gadgets ~ Cyberzed

Solar VW: Massive array riiiiggghhhtt.