Solar Powered Cars a Bad Bet for Idaho Drivers

It would work in July and August. I’m not sure you would’ve left the driveway last month. This may be the future of the automobile industry in some parts of the country. A solar vehicle would probably make some sense in Phoenix and probably Orlando. Not so much in Portland or Seattle. Southern Idaho would fall somewhere in the middle, I suppose.

If you can afford two cars, maybe you keep something traditional for winter and then power around in the solar car in summer. Twenty years ago I interviewed some high school students who built an entry for the American version of the Tour de Sol. They built a car with panels across the roof and tail and then drove it to the event and back. They didn’t have many setbacks as they encountered mostly sunny days.

The future of driving may be a mix of technologies. I seriously don’t believe diesel and the internal combustion engine are going anywhere soon, however. I can see a future where roads host electric, solar, and hydrogen-powered cars. Simply because one size doesn’t fit all.

Meanwhile, I read a prediction this morning. If you click on this link, you can see where a writer suggests the price for electric vehicles will drop by almost half by 2030 if the market continues to grow.

It's the major sticking point. A writer in California reminds us to meet the dreams of an EV fleet, we need more than hope. To some extent, that’s about all we have at the moment.