Solar energy technologies are becoming increasingly accessible and practical. The panels used to obtain clean electricity from the Sun develop every year, and we start to see innovative examples. Panels installed on the roofs of our houses or buildings are spreading day by day. The solar panels have even reached the point where they can be mounted on top of the cars.
Now, a startup called Motosola designed a solar charging canopy that could be mounted on an electric motorbike. This very lightweight canopy with a thinly coated high-efficiency array of solar cells charges the battery of the electric scooter or e-bike while riding or parking. Besides, this accessory protects the motorcycle driver from the heat of the Sun.
Electric motorcycles are powered and need to be recharged in some way. And you need to face the inconvenience and cost of charging. Motosola’s solar charging canopy can solve this problem, albeit a bit.
The canopy includes a solar panel and a charge inverter. So there is no need to buy canopy separately and the intermediate equipment to charge the motorcycle separately. Motosola’s canopies are designed to fit most electric motorcycle models.
There are two versions available 100W and 150W. Motosola claims that the canopy can generate up to 1.5 kWh of electricity per day. It is said that an electric motor with a battery of this capacity can be fully charged as a result of standing under the Sun all day and theoretically can be used all day without interruption. Given that most riders do not use motorcycles all day, this system can be a good way to reduce electricity bills for a standard consumer. The company is expected to offer a similar product for electric bicycles in the future.
This system looks really great, especially for areas with plenty of Sun. Although there is no price announced yet, but the brand claims that the cost of the setup shouldn’t be any more than the price of a replacement battery.
