<strong>Winging it: </strong>Nicknamed the "SolarButterfly" because of its "wings" covered in 80-square-meters of solar panels, this mobile home can charge the car that tows it. Now embarking on a four-year world trip, the team behind the SolarButterfly plans to spotlight 1,000 climate change solutions and pioneers, to inspire more people into action. <strong>Take a look through the gallery to see other solar-powered transport innovations. </strong>
Winging it: Nicknamed the "SolarButterfly" because of its "wings" covered in 80-square-meters of solar panels, this mobile home can charge the car that tows it. Now embarking on a four-year world trip, the team behind the SolarButterfly plans to spotlight 1,000 climate change solutions and pioneers, to inspire more people into action. Take a look through the gallery to see other solar-powered transport innovations.
Courtesy SolarButterfly
<strong>Star power:</strong> Undertaking a similar venture last year, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2Ftravel%2Farticle%2Fstella-vita-solar-campervan-netherlands-spc-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the "Stella Vita" camper van</a> traveled 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) around Europe without stopping for fuel or plugging in to charge. Created by 22 students at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, the campervan was designed to be light and aerodynamic, and was fitted with solar panels that allowed it to travel up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) each day.
Star power: Undertaking a similar venture last year, the "Stella Vita" camper van traveled 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) around Europe without stopping for fuel or plugging in to charge. Created by 22 students at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, the campervan was designed to be light and aerodynamic, and was fitted with solar panels that allowed it to travel up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) each day.
From Rien Boonstoppel/STE
<strong>A world first:</strong> It's not just one-off projects that are unplugging from the grid: the world's first production-ready solar car is here. Launched this month, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2Ftravel%2Farticle%2Flightyear-0-solar-assisted-car-spc-c2e-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">Lightyear 0</a> features solar panels across its roof, enabling drivers to travel 44 miles a day without charging. It doesn't come cheap, though: one of the launch models will set you back €250,000 ($262,000).
A world first: It's not just one-off projects that are unplugging from the grid: the world's first production-ready solar car is here. Launched this month, Lightyear 0 features solar panels across its roof, enabling drivers to travel 44 miles a day without charging. It doesn't come cheap, though: one of the launch models will set you back €250,000 ($262,000).
Courtesy Lightyear
<strong>Spaced out:</strong> Inspired by fighter jets, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Faptera.us%2Fvehicle%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Aptera's spaceship-like car </a>wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi film. With solar panels covering the roof, its aerodynamic shape reduces energy use by 30% compared to other electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing around 40 miles (64 kilometers) of solar-powered driving every day -- which Aptera says could help reduce a car owner's carbon footprint by over <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Faptera.us%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">14,000 pounds of CO2 per year</a>.
Spaced out: Inspired by fighter jets, Aptera's spaceship-like car wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi film. With solar panels covering the roof, its aerodynamic shape reduces energy use by 30% compared to other electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing around 40 miles (64 kilometers) of solar-powered driving every day -- which Aptera says could help reduce a car owner's carbon footprint by over 14,000 pounds of CO2 per year.
Courtesy Aptera Motors
<strong>Racing ahead: </strong>While Aptera and Lightyear are racing towards a market-ready solar-powered car, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sunswift.com%2Four-vehicles" target="_blank" target="_blank">Sunswift</a> is speeding towards another goal: the world record for fastest solar-powered vehicle. The project, led by a team of engineering professors and students at University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has been building solar-powered vehicles since 1996 and hopes its latest vehicle, Sunswift 7 (pictured), will live up to its name.
Racing ahead: While Aptera and Lightyear are racing towards a market-ready solar-powered car, Sunswift is speeding towards another goal: the world record for fastest solar-powered vehicle. The project, led by a team of engineering professors and students at University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has been building solar-powered vehicles since 1996 and hopes its latest vehicle, Sunswift 7 (pictured), will live up to its name.
Courtesy UNSW
<strong>Plain sailing:</strong> It's not just road transport getting fully on board with low-impact mobility. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoelyachts.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Soel Yacht's</a> solar-powered vessels offer a greener way to travel the seas. Its latest model, Soel Senses 62, pictured in this render, has 44 solar panels fixed to the roof, generating all the power this yacht needs to cruise around the coast.
Plain sailing: It's not just road transport getting fully on board with low-impact mobility. Soel Yacht's solar-powered vessels offer a greener way to travel the seas. Its latest model, Soel Senses 62, pictured in this render, has 44 solar panels fixed to the roof, generating all the power this yacht needs to cruise around the coast.
Courtesy Soel Yachts
<strong>A new wave:</strong> <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.silent-yachts.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Silent Yachts</a> has also harnessed the power of the sun in its zero-emissions, ultra-quiet vessel that has limitless range. With no need to fuel up at ports, the luxury Silent 60 yacht can traverse oceans.
A new wave: Silent Yachts has also harnessed the power of the sun in its zero-emissions, ultra-quiet vessel that has limitless range. With no need to fuel up at ports, the luxury Silent 60 yacht can traverse oceans.
From Alberto Cocchi
<strong>Shooting for the stars: </strong>From the seas to the skies, solar-powered transport is really taking off. In 2016, the Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigated the globe without using any fuel, charged instead by 17,000 solar panels. Bought in 2019 by US-Spanish startup Skydweller Aero, the company plans to turn the plane into the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2Ftravel%2Farticle%2Fskydweller-solar-powered-plane-solar-impulse-climate-scn-spc-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">world's first commercially viable "pseudo-satellite."</a> Using solar power, it will be able to stay in the air for months.
Shooting for the stars: From the seas to the skies, solar-powered transport is really taking off. In 2016, the Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigated the globe without using any fuel, charged instead by 17,000 solar panels. Bought in 2019 by US-Spanish startup Skydweller Aero, the company plans to turn the plane into the world's first commercially viable "pseudo-satellite." Using solar power, it will be able to stay in the air for months.
Courtesy Skydweller Aero Inc.
<strong>Take a bike:</strong> Solar panels aren't just for the luxury sector. In 2016, Sushil Reddy set off around India on a custom-built solar-powered electric bicycle, and now hosts events every year through his outreach project <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesunpedalride.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">SunPedal Ride</a> to spark conversation about sustainable solutions. His latest adventure was a 11,265 kilometer (7,000 mile) <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40sushilr25%2Fthe-sunpedal-ride-usa-cross-country-edition-fa1beb5a29a7" target="_blank" target="_blank">journey around the USA in 2021</a>, accompanied by cycling partner Luis Fourzan (right).
Take a bike: Solar panels aren't just for the luxury sector. In 2016, Sushil Reddy set off around India on a custom-built solar-powered electric bicycle, and now hosts events every year through his outreach project SunPedal Ride to spark conversation about sustainable solutions. His latest adventure was a 11,265 kilometer (7,000 mile) journey around the USA in 2021, accompanied by cycling partner Luis Fourzan (right).
Courtesy The SunPedal Ride
<strong>City solar:</strong> While Reddy's annual adventures are usually done on two wheels, in 2019, he created a solar-powered tuk-tuk to complete the 6,000 kilometer (3,728 mile) "Golden Quadrilateral" route in India between Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Tuk-tuks are a hugely popular mode of transport in urban India, and Reddy hoped the retrofitted electric tuk-tuk, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesunpedalride.com%2F2021%2F04%2F16%2Fthe-sunpedal-ride-india-2019-on-a-solar-electric-tuk-tuk%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">which was partially powered by solar panels</a>, would show different ways to decarbonize public transport.
City solar: While Reddy's annual adventures are usually done on two wheels, in 2019, he created a solar-powered tuk-tuk to complete the 6,000 kilometer (3,728 mile) "Golden Quadrilateral" route in India between Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Tuk-tuks are a hugely popular mode of transport in urban India, and Reddy hoped the retrofitted electric tuk-tuk, which was partially powered by solar panels, would show different ways to decarbonize public transport.
Courtesy The SunPedal Ride
<strong>Fuel-free commutes:</strong> There are moves towards a brighter future in public transport, too. In Hong Kong, the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kmb.hk%2Fen%2Fnews%2Fpress%2Farchives%2Fnews202105143826.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">Kowloon Motor Bus Company</a> (KMB) has kitted out over 100 double-decker buses with solar panels, which it says reduce fuel consumption by up to 8%. Now a standard specification for all its new buses, KMB hopes to have 2,000 solar-powered buses on the road by next year.
Fuel-free commutes: There are moves towards a brighter future in public transport, too. In Hong Kong, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB) has kitted out over 100 double-decker buses with solar panels, which it says reduce fuel consumption by up to 8%. Now a standard specification for all its new buses, KMB hopes to have 2,000 solar-powered buses on the road by next year.
Courtesy The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1993) Limited
<strong>All aboard: </strong>The world's first solar-powered train has a surprisingly long history. This 1949 railcar was restored by the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbyronbaytrain.com.au%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Byron Bay Train</a> company in 2013 and fitted with rooftop solar panels two years later. It runs emission-free trips between the town center and a beach in Byron Bay, Australia.
All aboard: The world's first solar-powered train has a surprisingly long history. This 1949 railcar was restored by the Byron Bay Train company in 2013 and fitted with rooftop solar panels two years later. It runs emission-free trips between the town center and a beach in Byron Bay, Australia.
Byron Solar Train