A company on the Greek holiday island of Crete is developing an electric car that is powered by solar energy. It can also generate further range with the help of pedals. The tourist runabout with a solar roof is set to conquer southern Europe.
The transition to electromobility is progressing not only in the major industrial nations but also in Greece. The Cretan system developer Enermech, based in Heraklion, is developing an electric car in cooperation with the Technical University of Crete, which is to be powered primarily by the sun.
The vehicle, called “Sunnyclist L7e-C”, has a 5 kWh battery which, according to the manufacturer, can be fully charged from a domestic socket in three to four hours, but can also be fully charged using the solar cells on the roof. According to this, conventional charging of the battery provides a range of 60 kilometers if the driver is the only occupant of the car. In the course of a sunny day, a further 60 kilometers should be possible.
Electric car with expandable range
The designation “Sunnyclist L7e-C” already indicates that it is a class L7e-CP vehicle – a heavy four-wheeled vehicle for passenger transport. This means that two more passengers can sit on the rear seats and compensate for the increased power consumption caused by their own weight: Pedals are attached under the rear seats. If the occupants pedal, an energy supply of ten percent per passenger should be able to be contributed. According to the manufacturer, the maximum speed of the small four-wheeler is 80 km/h.
With the help of a specially developed app for Android devices, the user not only receives information about the vehicle’s energy status, but also an exact weather forecast. This should be particularly interesting with regard to sunny weather.
Development from three to four wheelers
Enermech has been involved in vehicle development for several years. In 2011 it started with the project launch of a tricycle. This resulted in the “Islander” electric bike with a maximum range of 115 kilometers. The tricycle is also equipped with a solar roof and is now going into production.
At the same time, Enermech built three prototypes by 2018. The Sunnyclist traveled around Crete for a year in 2014 as part of a project. The vehicle covered a distance of 800 kilometers in five days. In 2019, the company finally started its cooperation with the Technical University of Crete and the development of the Sunnyclist L7e-C continued.
“We will present a fully functional prototype in the summer,” announces managing director Manolis Tsikandylakis to the star. For example, solar power generation and the use of pedals are to be tested in practice. A crash test has already been simulated. After a successful conclusion, the Sunnyclist L7e-C should go into production.
The car will initially be used as a rental vehicle in the tourism sector and as a service vehicle for tourist attractions. “The optimal countries for a market launch are those in southern Europe,” explains Tsikandylakis. The reason is obviously the high number of hours of sunshine. The purchase price for the tourist car is between 8,000 and 13,000 euros depending on the equipment.
Sources: Conversation with Enermech,
Source: Stern
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