Solar-Powered Boats, Planes and Cars: The Future of Travel?

By: By Lorraine Boissoneault

Published: August 28,2013

 

 

 

 

 

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Pilot Andre Borschberg flies the experimental solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse, above Lake Geneva during a test flight from Payerne to Geneva on September 21, 2010. (JEAN REVILLARD/AFP/Getty Images)

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Traveling the world in a solar-powered vehicle seems like something out of a science fiction novel now, but we might soon be zipping through the sky and plying the oceans' waters in planes and boats powered by the sun.
Three projects are proving that technology has advanced enough to make solar-powered circumnavigation a reality. The Turanor PlanetSolar, a ship covered with more than 500 solar panels; the Solar Impulse, a plane with the wingspan of an Airbus A340; and several versions of solar-powered cars are all making waves in the world of solar technology, with each of the engineers and explorers behind the vehicles pushing their creations to the limits of what's possible.
The Solar Impulse, which looks more like a glider than an airplane, recently completed a journey across the U.S. from San Francisco to New York City, a feat that had never before been performed, reported The Guardian. The Swiss team, including Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, now has plans to undertake a round-the-world journey in a solar-powered plane in 2015, with each man piloting the plane for up to four or five days in a row, says the Japan Times.
For those who might be a little nervous about boarding a plane without any fuel in it, the MS Turanor, the largest solar-powered boat in the world, might be another option for traveling around the globe. The Turanor made its first voyage in 2010, which took two years, and in 2013 it's making yet another trip around the world to study how climate change is affecting the oceans, says the Boston Globe. According to The Verge, the fact that the vessel is emission-free means it won't skew any of the measurements the team takes.
And finally, for a more personal form of transportation, a few new solar-powered car designs are being tested for their efficiency and safety. A Dutch-designed family car with solar panels on the roof can travel 250 miles on a cloudy day and up to 420 miles on a sunny day, reported the Daily Mail. Named "Stella," the car has enough room to seat four. Another solar car, this one in the shape of a raindrop, has been developed by a group of engineering students at the University of Cambridge, says Gizmag. Unlike other solar-powered cars, which have huge table-like plates of solar panels on them, the "Resolution" uses moving panels to follow the sun as it moves across the sky.
Take a look at the slideshow above to see the amazing solar-powered boat, plane and cars.
MORE: Paris Air Show Features Fast, Comfortable Planes

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Two French 'Tigre' helicopters fly over Le Bourget airport on June 17, 2013, north of Paris, on the opening day of the International Paris Air show which will be held until June 23, 2013. (Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images)

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