Mil’shtein S., Srinivasan B.
UMass Lowell, US
Keywords: solar electric vehicle
With dwindling petroleum resources and concerns about global climate, it is imperative to find better suited modes of commute for the future. In the United States, studies have shown that 50% of the travel on automobiles is within a 25 mile radius and a significant portion of the travel is made with a single passenger in the vehicle. Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are classified as automobiles which weigh less than 1800 pounds when empty and are able to run2 at no more than 35 mph. The trike is a significant advancement towards perfect Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). Therefore we targeted in our current study the design and fabrication of a commuting trike powered by a combination of solar, electrical energy with linear pedaling. The important element of our design is a special controller which optimizes the distribution and use of these three types of power. The goal of our design is to manufacture a commuting vehicle which will be operable when one or both electrical/solar power is unavailable and yet it will allow the commuter to reach safely any end of the commuting path, i.e. office or home.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2008 Clean Technology Conference and Trade Show
Published: June 1, 2008
Pages: 124 - 127
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Solar Technologies
ISBN: 1-4200-8502-0