After cars, motorcycles, ships, and trains, it is now electric bicycles that are adopting photovoltaics for clean charge. That is exactly what this solar powered eBike aims to achieve. A Canadian inventor, Terry Hope, has created a solar powered bike, Solar Cross, which would receive its power directly from the sun and also from the rider of the bike.
The Solar Cross eBike receives solar energy through the two solar panels fitted over its front wheel. A third solar panel is fitted on top of the handle of the bike. These solar panels will receive energy from the rays of the sun and will turn them into electricity for powering the bike. All of these solar panels were built by the creator himself using polycarbonate sheeting, mono crystalline cells (18 X 6 X 6 inches), and aluminum. Each cell of the solar panel has the capacity of producing 3.8 watts to 4 watts of energy, giving each solar panel the capacity of producing an estimated 8.7 volts of electricity.
Apart from the solar panels, the bike is also fitted with a 24 volt 1HP motor, a 5000mAh lithium-ion battery, and two 5000mAh LIPO booster packs. A 24V controller has also been fitted to give the rider an option to channel the electricity to any two of the three batteries. Other instruments that have been added to the bike include a watt analyzer, two booster switches, four voltage meters, and an emergency kill switch.
The creator of this eBIke is also planning on adding Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) film on the bike to increase its solar energy capturing capacity. To give the look of the bike an uplift, he is also planning to add some extra lighting features to the bike.
Via: Gizmag
