The world's first solar-powered family car that can travel 420 miles on a sunny day and creates TWICE as much energy as it uses

A breakthrough in sustainable energy and car design has enabled a team of engineers to build the world's first solar powered family car.
The Dutch team have created the world's first 'energy positive' car, which means it produces more energy than it uses.
It also has enough room to seat a family of four.

A breakthrough in sustainable energy and car design has enabled a team of engineers to build the world's first solar powered family car

Using large solar panels that are placed on the roof of the car, 'Stella' can travel 250 miles without sunshine and on a sunny day, when fully charged, it can drive up to 420 miles.
This is nearly twice as far as a standard electric car can travel before it needs to be charged up.
Made with the latest in lightweight materials, such as high grade aluminium and carbon fibre, the car weighs a mere 380kg, 1120kg lighter than the average electrical car.
Team Manager, Lex Hoefsloot, at Eindhoven University of Technology, said: ‘Because the car is standing still 90 per cent of the time in front of your house or your office, we found out that in 10 out of the 12 months of the year, the car provided more energy than it uses. 

The Dutch team have created the world's first 'energy positive' car, which means it produces more energy than it uses. It can also seat a family of four

Using large solar panels that are placed on the roof of the car, 'Stella' can travel 250 miles without sunshine and on a sunny day, when fully charged, it can drive up to 420 miles

‘The car also produces twice the amount of energy needed to drive normal distances and soon our car will be granted a licence plate by the Dutch authorities.
‘We strongly believe that the car of the future is much lighter, aerodynamic and more efficient.
‘Solar panels are the solution for a sustainable future, and they can increase the range of your car.

Made with the latest in lightweight materials, such as high grade aluminium and carbon fibre, the car weighs a mere 380kg, 1120kg lighter than the average electrical car

The car produces twice the amount of energy needed to drive normal distances and will soon be granted a licence plate in The Netherlands

‘The car is still expensive because it is a prototype and it is hand-made, but when the production is scaled up, the car could be just as affordable as a normal family car.
‘The solar cells on the roof of the car cost only £2,600.
‘Our future designs will focus on making the car even more comfortable, practical and energy efficient, so in the end people have the feeling that they could buy a similar car at a dealership.’

The lead engineer, Lex Hoefsloot, said: 'Solar panels are the solution for a sustainable future, and they can increase the range of your car'

The car is still expensive because it is a prototype and it is hand-made, but when the production is scaled up, the car could be as affordable as a normal family car

The solar cells on the roof of the car cost only £2,600

The engineers said: 'Our future designs will focus on making the car even more comfortable, practical and energy efficient'

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Radical new icebreaker will travel through the ice sideways

Given that icebreakers clear a path for other ships by traveling through the ice head-on (or sometimes butt-on), then in order for one of them to clear a wider path, it would have to be wider and thus larger overall ... right? Well, Finland’s Arctech Helsinki Shipyard is taking a different, more efficient approach. It’s in the process of building an asymmetric-hulled icebreaker that can increase its frontal area, by making its way through the ice at an angle of up to 30 degrees.

Arctech refers to the ship as “Icebreaking rescue vessel NB 508,” although according to a report in New Scientist, it’s also known as the Baltika. It’s being built for the Russian Ministry of Transport, and will be used not only for icebreaking, but also for rescue and oil spill cleanup duties in the Gulf of Finland.

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Experience Space Travel in the Back of a Japanese Bus

Long bus tours can be pretty boring, but Japan’s Star Fighter buses are so incredibly cool they just don’t give you a chance to get bored. If you think they look impressive on the outside, wait until you see what’s in store for passengers inside.
Going on a Tokyo bus tour usually gives tourists a chance to catch a glimpse of Japan’s fascinating metropolis, but that’s not what the Star Fighter Tour operated by Willer Travel is about. In fact, their futuristic-looking buses don’t even have windows. So if it’s sightseeing you want, look elsewhere, but if you fancy an interactive space adventure right here on Earth, this is one Tokyo attraction you don’t want to miss. As you can see in the photo below, Star Fighter buses don’t look like ordinary tour buses. Their shiny silver paint job  is somewhat reminiscent of Star Trek, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, because the real exciting stuff is on the inside. As you step aboard, the space shuttle-themed decor makes it hard to tell if you’re on a bus or a ship ready for take-off. There are hatches on the floor and air locks on the walls, and the normal windows have been replaced with “Hyper Windows”, which are really LED screens that show the infinite space outside, as soon as the tour starts.

The seats are equipped with joysticks, not for maneuvering the Star Fighter bus, but for navigating through the menu displayed on the wide screens fitted in the back of the seat in front. As soon as the tour starts, after a short speech from the guide, the curtain between the driver’s seat and the rest of the bus is drawn and the space adventure begins. Colorful lights and LED screens come online and the passengers are briefed on their mission: “The year is 20XX. Humans have discovered the existence of a shining crystal body in the section of space around the planet Cocoon. Adventurers from all parts of the world have ventured out into space in search of this crystal. WILLER-X, a travel company of the future, has developed a new type of “Star Fighter” spaceships and has announced a series of treasure hunting tours to search for this mysterious crystal using these new spaceships.” That basically means you have to take part in a series of video games and quizzes in order to complete the adventure. According to a reporter from RocketNews24 who got to go on a Star Fighter Tour, passengers who successfully finish all the games and quizzes get to take home a souvenir gift. But for everyone else, the experience alone is well worth the price of the ticket.

Star Fighter buses are available for a variety of tours: the Odaiba Free Plan priced at 2,300 yen ($23), which takes passengers from the man-made island of Odaiba to Shinjuku station, the Astronaut Training Simulation Experience priced between 7,500 yen – 8,000 yen ($75 – $80), which includes a trip to the Tsukuba Space Center, where passengers can go through three kinds of simulated astronaut training exercises, and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Plan, which costs 2,800 yen ($28) and includes an entry to the famous museum. Whichever one you go for, you’re bound to have a blast.

 

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