Measurements on the drive of a solar-powered commercial vehicle

The article describes measurements made on a solar powered vehicle as a contribution to this optimization process.

Apart from vehicles developed for demonstration or racing purposes, it is not possible, using present solar power technology, to collect solar energy on the vehicle at a rate which can power it along the road. This means that the vehicle still has to be "tanked" with electricity stored in a battery, although the sun can still be used to provide power using stationary solar cells.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit from the solar power, it is important that the mechanical drive in the vehicle is optimized.