A team of 27 students from Manipal University, has built a futuristic automobile, which runs solely on solar power. The car, named SERVe – Solar Electric Road Vehicle, was unveiled at Tata Power Solar Headquarters on Wednesday.The car’s custom-fit solar panels have been designed and manufactured by Tata Power Solar. The team began working on the project in 2012 with Manipal University as their workspace.The solar car prototype is built on a tubular spaceframe chassis with a glass fibre reinforced body and gets bespoke solar panels made by Tata Power Solar along with a complex data management system. The four-wheeled prototype weighs in at around 590kg and gets a two-seat layout.
The prototype is powered by a chain-drive electric motor and gets a Direct Solar Drive, allowing the prototype to run on direct sunlight alone. The solar panel is supplemented by rechargeable lithium-ion cells for additional power, allowing the car a claimed top speed of around 60kph and a claimed cruising speed of 30kph maintainable on Direct Solar Drive.SERVe becomes the showcase of an industry-academia effort that aims to help increase the role of solar power technology in all-electric and hybrid vehicles.
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