Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar
We just got tipped that Sunmotor, an electric vehicle hopeful based in Boston, plans to release its first product in America. It’s solar and electric powered car ain’t pretty, that’s for sure. In side profile from wheel-to-wheel, you’ll notice that Sunmotor’s car is a clear smart fortwo knock-off. We wish it stayed that way, but the front and rear glass of the EV takes its own styling direction. And it’s an extremely unfortunate one. We are guessing that the car’s designers wanted to maximize the available roof space for solar cells, but that’s not much consolation for such reprehensible styling.
Top speed is limited to to 25 miles per hour, or about 40 kilometers per hour, a speed which Sunmotor claims can be reached in just over 5 seconds. Weighing in at 2,600 pounds, there is plenty of weight for the 10 horsepower motor to push around. As enviro-sensitive bloggers, we can appreicate what Sunmotor is hoping to accomplish, but we’ll believe this one when we see it.
[Source: Sunmotor LLC]
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Just to set the record straight, I want to clear up disinformation so people get the real skinny instead of just “vomiting up” their opinions. The top speed of the current model is 40 m.p.h. The elctronics dictate the top speed. This is done because different states have laws limiting the top speed for NEV’s and EV’s (some states don’t even allow NEV’s to be registered to drive at this point). The manufacturer (Sunmotor) sets the top speed allowed. This speed can be changed by a dealership when new laws are enacted to increase the m.p.h. rating. The car chasis is built to go much faster, and the same platform will be used for a future EV that is highway rated. Crash tests will soon be conducted (to achieve the highway EV rating). There is also an ignorance in the basic understanding of horsepower ratings, and what the car is capable of achieving. You have to understand what horsepower rating of a motor and kilowatt/hour rating of the batteries actually mean. The motor is rated for 10 horsepower continuous but is capable of achieving 25 horsepower for even 10 minutes. Once you accelerate the vehicle to 25 mph, you use less than 5 hp to keep the car running at the same speed. And due to the low speeds (>35 miles an hour) friction is the only real resistive force (not aerodynamic drag as some would assume). If you understand the basics of battery storage and kilowatt/hr rating of the batteries, its a simple calculation to find the range of the car given some of the the actual operating conditions of the car. I would be glad to properly inform those who are really further interested. So a range of 160 miles for lithium ion batteries and 80 miles for lead acid batteries is achievable, and the “supposed” acceleration of 0-25 seconds is also achievable. And lastly about the solar panel designed into the car. What would you rather have – a solar panel that will power the car for free for 15 miles on a sunny day (probably the average commute to work) or pay the Saudi’s more oil money to fund madrassas in Pakistan? Isn’t that the real reason we are in Afghanistan now? Kind of self defeating isn’t it. Have you ever sat in one of the Sunmotor’s cars and checked out the features? It is built unlike a Gem or Zap car that a dealer employee himself told me he was nervous to do 40 m.p.h in (since they tested it with the governor off). I would love to have some feedback on this one – you can reach me at last.weigl@yahoo.com. Hope this stimulates some thinking.