Solar car shines at Canadian International Autoshow

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/solar car Phoenix.jpg” caption=”The Phoenix will be on display at the Canadian International Autoshow until Sunday, Feb. 25. Photo courtesy of Alex Rankin.”]The Phoenix, McMaster's solar car, will be on display at the Canadian International Autoshow at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre until Sunday, Feb. 25.

This is the Phoenix's debut at the Autoshow. A previous model of the solar car, Fireball II, was showcased at the event four years ago, and attracted a huge audience.

“The little kids loved it,” said Dr. John Preston, professor in the Department of Engineering Physics and faculty advisor for the McMaster Solar Car Project. “They thought it was a flying saucer.”

Although the solar car can't fly, it can travel up to 100 km/h.

“A solar car is an extremely lightweight and aerodynamic electric car which transforms the sun's rays into electricity through solar cells,” explained Alex Rankin, a third-year materials engineering student and member of the McMaster Solar Car Project. “This electricity is then stored in lithium-ion batteries until it is needed by the electric motor.”

The McMaster Solar Car Project consists of more than 100 members from all departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

As Canada tries to curb its emissions to help reduce global warming, solar-powered and hybrid vehicles represent a cleaner alternative to gas-guzzlers. Unlike fossil fuel, sunlight is a renewable source of energy.

Solar-assisted hybrid vehicles are ideal for short trips because their batteries can recharge while parked, said Preston, adding that these types of vehicles could be on the roads within the next three years.

The Phoenix will be on display in Room 701 of the South Building at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The McMaster Racing Club's SAE Formula One race car will also be featured.