Driverless electric vehicle to be powered with solar rooftop

cropped AEV 4seater+LandscapeNew technological development is not just happening overseas.  David Brown reports that a Melbourne-based robotics business is pushing ahead with a different sort of hybrid vehicle

An Australian startup is developing an autonomous electric vehicle that will utilise a solar roof and lithium ion battery system.

Applied Electric Vehicles Pty Ltd (AEV) is being supported by government to the tune of a $2million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

AEV’s vehicle will generate up to 60 per cent of its energy requirements from the sun. The use of a smaller battery pack means easier charging ffrom a common 240V wall socket.

The $7.65 million project is in partnership with Japanese company Teijin Limited who is helping to develop the vehicle’s lightweight materials and manufacturing methods.

Motoring Minutes are heard around Australia every day on over 50 radio channels through the Torque Radio networkMotoring Minutes have an average daily audience of over 150,000 listeners. Motoring Minutes are also broadcast as part of Overdrive Radio Program, which is broadcast through the Community Radio Network across Australia and has a weekly audience of over 430,000. 

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About David Brown 604 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto