Solar Powered

Blue Origin has unveiled its Power Tower for future Moon bases, which will be carried by the company's Mark 1 lunar lander. After touchdown, the spacecraft will deploy a 20-m (66-ft)-tall solar array for around-the-clock electrical power.

GoSun's Moonrider 27 pairs a compact 27-hp electric tractor with an optional solar roof, letting farmers charge in the field and swap diesel for sunlight as solar tractor alternatives multiply worldwide.

With its aerodynamic design, the Volkswagen Mission Efficiency concept has demonstrated a per-charge range of just under 500 miles from a small 54.9-kWh battery and the same motor used in the ID.Polo.

Shawn Ryan rode 1,300 km (808 miles) across the Alps on a sun-powered e-bike he built himself, pushing his solar panels, motor, and batteries to their limits amid the grueling heatwave that swept across Europe this summer.

Almost 2 years ago, BMW challenged students at Clemson University to build a vehicle that produced more energy than it needed. The Deep Orange 17 – or 'luminetta' – is the result of their labors, a boxy prototype EV jam-packed with solar cells.

A pioneering student-built solar-powered mobile clinic called the Stella Juva is heading to Kenya for real-world trials, aiming to deliver hospital-grade healthcare to remote communities without roads, fuel or electricity.

Unlike man-made solar systems, which are hampered by the sun’s fluctuations and require backup systems to even them out, leaves can harness solar energy even in low-light conditions. Scientists have developed a way to replicate this ability.

Fourteen years ago we first heard about the Elf, a pedal/electric velomobile that could be charged via a rooftop solar panel. Well, there's a new version on the way that'll be cushier, more powerful, and able to seat a second passenger.

Fully-enclosed velomobiles may offer weather protection and an aerodynamic advantage over bicycles, but their three wheels do add weight and rolling resistance. The outrigger-equipped Manta ebike, however, takes a unique alternative approach.

Luke and Mike Bell have modified their solar-powered drone so that it can now stay aloft for more than 5 hours, unofficially breaking the world endurance record for this type of electric drone.

It has been a long, twisting journey for Aptera’s solar-powered electric vehicle, but we can at last report that the extraordinary futuristic car has taken a huge step toward mass production.

Recent advances made in the automotive world have found an unlikely application: a new high-performance portable lantern called the CampLight Pro. And it’s such a cool bit of kit that it could change the way we light the outside of our homes too.