How To Make a Solar Powered Car | 4 Best Science fair Project Ideas

Hi, solar powered car and Scope for Clean energy in future is very high, Hence it’s our responsibility to teach younger generation about it’s importance.

Here we will have look into 4 amazing ways on How to make solar car project at home.

All the four designs of mini solar cars which are made here use similar materials but put up with different designs.

What are solar powered cars?

A device which relies on solar power for its working, commercial cars being produced today runs on IC Engines uses either petrol or diesel

Combustion from this releases harmful exhaust to the environment, on the other hand solar energy is the cleanest form of energy, so are Solar cars unless batteries come into picture!

Video tutorial: Please scroll down bottom for video link

Features of our Homemade Mini Solar Powered Car

Uses small DC motor / dual shaft dc motor, Powered by small solar panel, Doesn’t require any battery, Ideal for Science Fair Projects

Very easy to make, Works on medium Sun now Let’s Begin with our first model small solar car

Materials required to make first version car

DVD Motor or toy dc motor some Rectangle piece of cardboard select Wheels of your own choice ( I recycled from old DVD player for front wheels)

Thinner wheels are much preferred as we use Small solar panel (I used 5v 150Ma)

Steel shaft and Pieces of plastic tube for shaft supports and few Cardboard pieces for proper alignment of Dc Motor gear with Shaft Gear

Steps to make Mini Solar Car

Solder wires to DVD Motor if it’s not solder by default make sure soldering is perfect without loos connection

Depending on size of gear mark and cut square hole on cardboard body, Insert Gear into shaft mid part

Add shaft supports on either sides as shown in pictures. This will be rear wheel drive solar car

Please follow images for clear visual understanding, Using hot glue stick shaft supports to cardboard body

Repeat same process for front part then Attach wheels to all shaft end

Steps to place Motor in place

Using Pieces of cardboard adjust proper height in which gear from shaft links with DC Motor shaft

To Make sure it’s linked properly manually turn wheels meanwhile motor shaft should spin, Once the check is made

Connect solar panel terminals to dc motor here I will not be using any switch since this car works only with bright sunlight

Using Hot glue elevate solar panel as In images Solar powered car is ready for action

How To use solar cars?

Cover solar panel with your hand before taking outdoors Go out on bright sun then Place this car on ground

Release your hand from solar panel then watch Car glides like butter

That was all about making this version of mini solar powered car, Now lets head to other versions!

This version of solar car uses three wheels and here change is DC Motor is connected to wheels directly so the loss of power posed by using shaft is eliminated.

Building your own solar car

I’am using triangle shaped cardboard for body

Tip of triangle is trimmed(upto 2cm) as it will be weak support DC Motor weight, Attach wheels to DC Motor shaft

Using hot glue couple it to triangle trimmed tip Here I will be using switch to on and off car

Connect one end of solar panel directly to motor Other end of solar panel to switch and from switch to motor

Couple everything together using hot glue Homemade solar powered car is ready for use

This project works best with bright sunlight

Now you already know how to make solar powered car of two different types, Upcoming versions are a little bit different from these versions.

These solar powered cars are made from modified dc gear motor also called by names BO Motor, Purpose of modifying Double shaft DC Gear Motor

Default motor consumes more power so this Solar panel can’t power these motor

Hence it has to be replaced with DVD Motor since DVD Motor has good efficiency

Steps to Modify Toy DC Motor with DVD Motor in 5 easy steps

Loosen screws from Dual shaft DC Gear motor Meanwhile by this time you can pull out motor with ease

Remove tiny gear from motor shaft then Attach specific gear to our DVD Motor

After you Insert motor Tighten the screws

Materials to make high torque solar car

Mini solar panel or small solar panel

Dual shaft DC Gear Motor and Hot glue sticks

Wheels (big wheels are preferred) type of Screw driver as per screw

Easy Steps for making Solar Powered Car – High Toque

1. Attach wheels to both sides of Dual Shaft DC Gear motor shaft and tight using Screw driver
2. Stick small piece of glue stick to body of BO Motor
3. Stick solar panel on other side of stick
4. Connect solar panel to gear motor
5. Wait for complete dry
6. All set to test our project

build unique version solar car

This version of solar car is made from previous version, Here the only difference is four wheels are used instead of two from previous version, please refer images.

Here only additional part is making front wheel part, To do front wheel part,

I used skewers as shaft alternatively steel shaft can be used Roll paper slightly larger than size of skewer

Harden paper using super glue Using 2 popsicle sticks connected side to side attach this wheels part

Connect solar panel to motor terminals Using glue attach solar panel to body Please refer above images for any clarifications

Our solar powered car made from dual shaft dc motor is ready to roll on off road

Features of Solar powered cars made above

The first and second version of solar cars has high rpm hence work in very high speeds Third and fourth version of the solar car has low speed but have good torque

Solar car working video

Check here to watch video tutorial

That was all about how to make a fast solar car of four different versions, Let me know in the comments which was your favorite and what version are you trying to do

Please show support by sharing this idea with your needy friends, Thank you