There are two wildly different types of solar powered cars.  First, there are the full-size, actually driven solar powered cars…and there are small solar powered cars that children can put together and race short distances with the included solar panels.

Full-sized solar powered cars can be designed with integrated solar panels (generally in the roof of the car) in order to fully charge the batteries without the added costs or inconvenience of finding an electrical connection.  These solar powered cars are often (for obvious reasons) are hybrid and electric cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and many others.

Also, you can use solar power for these electric and hybrid cars by creating a charging station.  A solar charging station for a solar powered car would typically include several solar panels, a charge controller, a set of batteries, and maybe an inverter if the case being charged uses an AC power connection for charging.

The other type of solar cars…the fun, small solar powered cars are a great, fun way to introduce children, and even adults, to the exciting world of solar energy.  Generally, these solar powered cars come with everything you need to create your own solar powered race car (small solar panel, wiring, and all the pieces you need to put the car together (like a model car)).

You can check out all of our small solar powered cars here.