Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!jumbo!murray
From: murray@jumbo.dec.com (Hal Murray)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Solar powered car
Keywords: Solar cells, batteries
Message-ID: <13582@jumbo.dec.com>
Date: 17 Feb 89 04:53:48 GMT
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto
Lines: 11

There is an interesting article in the latest Scientific American
describing a GM/Hughs/AeroVironment solar powered car that won the race
across Australia.

They used GaAs solar cells to get another 20 or 30% more energy relative
to silicon. Anybody know what the rough costs are?  Where does amorphous
silicon fit on the cost/efficiency chart?

The article also discusses batteries a lot. Silver-zinc has 4 times the
energy density of lead-acid. Anybody know how NiCads compare with sealed
lead gell cells in energy density (or price)?