I love how fools gold has become proverbial gold for solar power
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Swedish Solar Car Runs on Fool's Gold
By Keith Barry
March 05, 2009 | 7:20:04 AMCategories: Electric Vehicles
Swedish supercar builder Koenigsegg brought a model of its solar-electric Quant concept car to the Geneva Motor Show and said the production model would have a range of 300 miles and a recharge time of less than 20 minutes.
The secret to these outrageous performance claims? Fool's gold.
Pyrite (also known as fool's gold) has tremendous photovoltaic properties that are only recently being developed into commercially viable solar technology. A leader in pyrite research, NLV Solar is a Swedish company that has partnered with Koenigsegg on the Quant. NLV says their Pyradian solar cells will be highly efficient, with a peak photovoltaic conversion ratio of 50 percent, which bests thecurrent world record by 8.9 percent. Pyradian cells can also be applied to any surface as a thin film, turning the already aerodynamic Quant into a massive moving solar panel.
Amazingly, NLV says it has joined Koenigsegg in "working on running prototypes to scale up for series production," though the Quant seems so far ahead of its time that Koenigsegg ought to use pregnancy tests to find future buyers.
Of course, all that energy the Quant soaks up has to be stored somewhere, which is where the Flow Accumulator Energy Storage (FAES) system comes in handy. NLV is pretty skimpy on details about FAES, saying only that it is an "electrochemical energy storage system" comprised of a series of 4-volt cells. Koenigsegg says FAES contains no heavy metals, which means it's probably talking about a very sophisticated lithium-ion battery pack.
Twin electric motors at the rear wheels propel the car from 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds, which isn't too shabby when you consider the car has room for four adults and charges from either an electrical outlet or a sunny day. Ingress and egress is through two gull-wing doors that each feature two sets of windows -- one for the front seat, one for the back. We especially dig the green accents on the wheels.
Main photo courtesy of Autoblog.nl, which has a full gallery of the Koenigsegg Quant.
All other images by Koenigsegg.
Swedish Solar Car Runs on Fool's Gold
By Keith Barry
March 05, 2009 | 7:20:04 AMCategories: Electric Vehicles
Swedish supercar builder Koenigsegg brought a model of its solar-electric Quant concept car to the Geneva Motor Show and said the production model would have a range of 300 miles and a recharge time of less than 20 minutes.
The secret to these outrageous performance claims? Fool's gold.
Pyrite (also known as fool's gold) has tremendous photovoltaic properties that are only recently being developed into commercially viable solar technology. A leader in pyrite research, NLV Solar is a Swedish company that has partnered with Koenigsegg on the Quant. NLV says their Pyradian solar cells will be highly efficient, with a peak photovoltaic conversion ratio of 50 percent, which bests thecurrent world record by 8.9 percent. Pyradian cells can also be applied to any surface as a thin film, turning the already aerodynamic Quant into a massive moving solar panel.
Amazingly, NLV says it has joined Koenigsegg in "working on running prototypes to scale up for series production," though the Quant seems so far ahead of its time that Koenigsegg ought to use pregnancy tests to find future buyers.
Of course, all that energy the Quant soaks up has to be stored somewhere, which is where the Flow Accumulator Energy Storage (FAES) system comes in handy. NLV is pretty skimpy on details about FAES, saying only that it is an "electrochemical energy storage system" comprised of a series of 4-volt cells. Koenigsegg says FAES contains no heavy metals, which means it's probably talking about a very sophisticated lithium-ion battery pack.
Twin electric motors at the rear wheels propel the car from 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds, which isn't too shabby when you consider the car has room for four adults and charges from either an electrical outlet or a sunny day. Ingress and egress is through two gull-wing doors that each feature two sets of windows -- one for the front seat, one for the back. We especially dig the green accents on the wheels.
Main photo courtesy of Autoblog.nl, which has a full gallery of the Koenigsegg Quant.
All other images by Koenigsegg.
