With the “Stella Vita”, students at TU Eindhoven have developed an electric vehicle that places solar panels on the roof. They call it “House on Wheels”, and Renault found out about it, especially thanks to its new Mobilize division, which has been focusing on “innovative mobility” since the beginning of this year.
The prototype aims to embody the future of sustainable mobility – a mobile home in which users can live and work while they are on the move, powered by the energy of the sun. This year the house on wheels was already on the road and moved from Eindhoven to Tarifa at the southern end of Spain, which is 3000 km.
Students who developed Stella Vitas, now met with representatives from Renault, presented their concept and were told how a series model could be made from a concept vehicle. A tip from Renault: Keep the gap between the concept and the actual vehicle as small as possible.
600km range, more in the sun
The Stella Vita’s solar panels measure up to 17.5 meters when the wings are spread out2. They are bent while driving. The Stella Vita weighs 1700 kg and should be able to drive up to 120 km/h.
(image: Renault)
When the lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 60 kWh is fully charged, the vehicle has a range of about 600 km, and 130 km more should be possible when the sun shines. It takes two to three days to charge the batteries using a solar cell when the battery is idle. The vehicle is therefore equipped with connections for fast charging at conventional charging stations.
The mobile ceiling can be raised to create more space inside. The wings then spread out to the sides, doubling the area of the solar cells. The interior is similar to a compact motorhome with kitchen, bed, sofa, shower and toilet. The infotainment system should enable users to monitor their energy consumption at all times.
The Cyan with solar cells from manufacturer Sono Motors is no longer a concept, but is expected to go into series production in 2023. The solar panels on the body should be able to extend the range up to 112 km.
(nw)
