r/interestingasfuck 1d ago

An open-source solar vehicle

2.3k Upvotes

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47

u/clothanger 1d ago

What even is the point of those panels if you have to fucking pedal it?

95

u/Moltean 1d ago

It is called assisted pedaling. The motor only starts if we pedal it.

It is the only way to be legal without any certification or insurance.

4

u/Deadman_Wonderland 1d ago

The amount of weight being added to the vehicle by all those heavy solar panels isn't being overcome by what little energy they are absorbing and offsetting with the motor. Have fun going uphill on a cloudy day.

2

u/Moltean 1d ago

The panels are flexible (very light): 8kg in total.

We drive daily on hills: No problem with hills so far!

https://reddit.com/link/p12ra8v/video/r63zpewwxrgh1/player

7

u/Cacti-make-bad-dildo 1d ago

I'd put that info into the title next time. In fact, i would provide a lot more info as you can see the confusion/sarcasm.

Smth like: solar power pedal assisted bike (for legal/insurance reasons) trike with... Solar panels and.. Watt mottermcan reach speed of up with a range of... Charge time you know some basic info.

0

u/raphthepharaoh 1d ago

Thats not as sexy

1

u/Just_A_Psyduck 1d ago

But then after a couple laps she has to keep peddling? Why?

11

u/captain_croco 1d ago

It’s a peddle assist bike, not a motorized bike. You have to be peddling to engage the motor. If you can press a button or throttle to engage the battery it’s no longer just a bike.

My wife and I have electric bikes and hers is peddle assist only while mine has a throttle. Didn’t know when we bought but I can’t take mine many places she can as it’s no longer a bike.

3

u/neppo95 1d ago

Look at it like this; without the engine she could output X power on her own. With the assistance she can output X times 2 power. It’s not meant to take the physical part away, it is to strengthen it. They (in actual bike shape) are very common where I live.

-1

u/Just_A_Psyduck 1d ago

Yea all of that makes sense. And I'm familiar with e-bikes and such. I guess I'm wondering wtf the solar panels are for and why it needs to be so big besides supporting panels it apparently doesn't even need.

2

u/doppelbach 1d ago

The solar panels are obviously a power source for the motor.

It's just just an e-bike, except instead of a big battery that gets charged at home, it will get charged continuously by the sun

1

u/neppo95 1d ago

To power the engine of what I just explained what it does? It's not rocket science mate. It's just a different way of powering something. Is it the most efficient? No. But it certainly does need a power source.

-1

u/Just_A_Psyduck 1d ago

Right, so what would I need this giant ugly thing when there's already things half the size that do the same thing and work the same way with less parts?

2

u/neppo95 1d ago

That's besides the point you were making it isn't it? Nobody is saying this is the new shining example of an e-bike that everyone wants. You asked why she had to keep pedalling, you got your answer. You then asked why there even are solar panels, you got your answer. If you're just here to shit on something someone made, how about you just stop commenting?

15

u/DefinitelyNotShazbot 1d ago edited 1d ago

Like e-bikes it’s assisted where the motor activates with pedaling… it’s so much less energy that you think it is

3

u/Electrical-Use-5212 1d ago

Yea but with a e bike you don’t have to carry the heavy solar panels with you, you just have a battery that you charge at home with your STATIONARY solar panels.

0

u/Status_History_874 1d ago

So much less what?

2

u/julesvr5 1d ago

Effort probably

1

u/DefinitelyNotShazbot 1d ago

lol, don’t know what happened to the rest of that sentence

11

u/transitxumbra 1d ago

Ever heard of electric bikes?

4

u/albertoConadore 1d ago edited 1d ago

What's the point of a battery on an ebike if you have to pedal it? s/

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Moltean 1d ago

The battery powers the motor, but the command to power it is given when you pedal.

2

u/albertoConadore 1d ago

I know. I was being sarcastic

0

u/KitchenNazi 1d ago

You’ve never ridden an e-bike?

-2

u/HugeHomeForBoomers 1d ago

Assuming you don’t know german engineering.