How many ways can a car generate its own electricity as it travels?

Question

lets say a car is traveling from New Youk to Los Angeles.

YOu are assigned to design this car so that it makes it to Los Angeles. YOu are only allowed 10 gallon tank of gas to start and thats the only gas you are allowed to have for the entire trip.

Your car design must be for an electric car that will therefore be able to generate power while it travels from solar energy, using the wind, plus any other innovative ideas you can come up with.

Could this car be designed. HOw many different power sources can you imagine creating as the car travels?

Answer 1

Solar power, wind power, and i'm no expert but just the wheels turning could generate power...right?

Answer 2

wind power will not work, as the power required to push a turbine through the air will be a lot more than it could generate.

Same thing for putting generators on the wheels, as someone else suggested.

No, solar panels are your only hope.  Large efficient solar panels. That and light weight, streamlining, low friction, and a very efficient, small gas engine driving a generator. Probably less than 1 HP.

You also need a very good charge controller to control the charge into the battery from the solar array. And good batteries.

Certainly it can be designed. Would it make it? probably, in the summer where there is lots of sunlight. Would the gasoline help?  The best that has been done from a gas engine is 500 mpg, but with all the electric motors, solar arrays, etc, best you could get is probably 200 mpg at a guess, which gets you 2000 miles, so yes.

Would I take the 3000 mile trip? No.

Stuck in a tiny cabin, no AC, speeds of about 30 MPH, which means 100 hours of driving.

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