Palestinian solar car hits Hebron streets

As the world searches for alternative energy sources, a team from a Hebron university built a single-passenger car that runs on solar power.

Engineering students from the Palestine Polytechnic University made the 3.7-by-1.7-meter vehicle as a graduation project. The car uses hundreds of photovoltaic solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity, which is then stored in batteries.

The vehicle uses 12 batteries, totaling 24 volts, which power the car for three to five hours. Running at its maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour, the batteries power the car for 100 minutes. The batteries are rechargeable, so electricity from home can be used in the winter.

Dr Zuhdi Salhab, who supervised the project, said sourcing the material to create the alternative energy presented an obstacle, but he praised the students’ creativity. Given the chance, Salhab said, Palestinian students could come up with more “great projects that stimulate global development.”