Solar technology, while promising, doesn’t quite seem ready to power our automobiles. Huge solar installations that constantly collect the sun’s rays and store them for later use might be an excellent option to power electric automobiles, but even the best photovoltaic cells in the world are not yet efficient enough to generate enough electricity to provide for any meaningful range, at least for the kind of vehicle that most people would want to drive.

There will always be enterprising individuals out there, though, that take matters into their own hands by creating the automobile of their dreams the best way they know how. Such is the case with one inventor from Palo Alto, California, who has apparently welded the rear half of an electric utility trailer to the front forks and steering head of a small motorbike. The best part is undoubtedly the massive, rectangular solar panel that pivots to face the sun when parked and provide a roof for the rider when moving.

Practical? Not even close. Awesome? Without question. Click here to for a fun caption contest from Wired. Hat tip to Gene for taking the photo!

[Source: Wired]

Filed under: Solar, On Two Wheels, Green Daily

It’s Friday: Home-built solar trike boggles the mind originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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