Solar powered electric bikes aren't new, but this extraordinary one definitely breaks new ground.
Thus far, solar powered bicycles have required a serious amount of leg work too; mostly because nobody could figure out how to attach enough solar panels to the contraption to give it enough power.
But this giant electric tricycle, which even comes with a pair of proper seats, has a large roof canopy housing five 120W solar panels for a total of 600W of power. Hey presto, it solves the panel size problem by wearing them as a hat.
Bear in mind that you’re probably only going to get a maximum of 400W or 450W of real power in ideal conditions, but that’s still plenty considering the motor size - it's only fitted with a small 250W rear motor, so even partial sun should give you as much power as you’re draining from the battery. That means you’ve got essentially unlimited range at 18 mph as long as the sun is out.
OK, you're not going to get from A to B particularly quickly - especially if there are two people on board - but, all the same, what a cool way of getting around at a relaxed pace.
Plan your sleep and bathroom breaks correctly and you could practically ride cross-country for weeks without ever having to plug in to charge. And the pair of pedals on the driver’s side means you can go it on your own if you ever ran out of juice after a particularly long cloudy period.
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