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The Dutch drive into a green future with 100% solar powered cars

Source: We Drive Solar

We Drive Solar from Utrecht, the Netherlands, changes the solar-driving game with their revolutionary system.

We Drive Solar

We Drive Solar is an Utrecht-based company who combines the power of solar energy with the power of sharing, to make driving energy-neutral a feasible option for more people.

Driving On 100% solar power made accessibleSource: Facebook Bright Vibes

Locally sourced solar-energy

The We Drive Solar system had adapted a number of factors that come into play when driving on solar-energy, that makes it available to more people. Certain drawbacks have been worked around, driving down the costs, and driving up the possibilities.

Instead of buying an expensive solar-powered car, with the system you take out a subscription for a certain amount of kilometers you drive a month, allowing you to adapt the cost to how much you drive. 

Because you share the car with three other people, you also share the costs.

Another drawback to driving on solar-energy used to be the amount of kilometers you could drive before having to charge it again. With these cars, you can drive up to 300 kilometers before having to charge it again. 

Charging poles are spread throughout the neighbourhood so you won’t have to drive far from home to share your car. The solar-energy is locally sourced, so it can go straight to the charging poles and whatever solar-energy doesn’t get used by the cars, goes to the buildings the panels are built on. This system causes a synergy between the number of cars and number of solar panels: the more people drive around in solar-cars, the more solar-panels will be built and the more energy is available to power the buildings.

The cars can only be picked up in and around the city of Utrecht, but the more interest, the more likely the system will spread, making solar-powered driving available to all.
The cars can only be picked up in and around the city of Utrecht, but the more interest, the more likely the system will spread, making solar-powered driving available to all. Source: We Drive Solar

The first charging pole of its kind

There are a couple of other benefits to the system. The cars get their solar energy from the charging poles, but these unique charging stations, the first of their kind worldwide, can also transfer the energy in the batteries of the car, to the home they’re connected to.

So for the first time ever, not only do you get to power your car with solar-energy, the car powers your home with solar-energy as well.

The unique charging pole that gives energy to your care, and at the same time, allows the car to transfer energy it isn't using to your home. So for the first time, your car powers your washing machine!
The unique charging pole that gives energy to your care, and at the same time, allows the car to transfer energy it isn’t using to your home. So for the first time, your car powers your washing machine! Source: We Drive Solar

The system in practice

So, you share the car with three others. With an app on your phone, you can book the car for a certain time and date. You can pick up the car at an agreed upon location, which will always be near you, as your fellow-car owners live nearby; the system couples you based on location. 

The app also makes keys a thing of the past as it is used to open the car. this way there’s no hassle with waiting for someone else to come pick up the keys to the car. You can simply lock it with the app and leave it for the next person to use it. 

Of course the app is strongly secured, making sure only the people with the car subscription can unlock it. 

Make an Impact

Visit the Website

For more information about this revolutionary system, visit the We Drive Solar website.