Art Haines, a mechanical designer from Maine, came up with the idea of building a solar powered car. When he pitched the idea of having local high school students help him build the car to his local civic group, it was well received. He and eight students from the local high school discussed the project and the students came up with a list of the specifications for the solar car. Mr. Haines then designed the solar car’s prototype on his computer, and the Sunnev – Solar Neighborhood Electric Vehicle was born. Though not all of the original specs were implemented in the final version of the Sunnev – it turned out to be a very eco friendly vehicle.
The students worked two days a week on creating the vehicle’s parts in Mr. Haines’ workshop and after they finished making the parts, worked on building the prototype together. According to Mr. Haines, converting a golf cart would not have been nearly as fun as building the Sunnev from scratch. He believes the students learned much more than they ever expected when they signed up for that particular “study hall.”
The Sunnev has a 40” wide interior and is 60” high x 84” long. It has a front solar panel that charges its battery, a two speed transmission, low and high, to help with those steep inclines that electric cars and EV’s are known to have trouble with. This tiny car only holds two people, has limited storage space, has a top speed of about 25 mph and a range of around 30 miles. It is street legal and features windshield wiper, disc brakes, seat belts, turn signals and lights. It can also be use to travel around in campgrounds and gated communities. A Manufacturer’s Certificates of Origin is supplied so the vehicle can be registered as a Specially Constructed Vehicle in your state.
In 2008 Mr. Haines came out with a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Car Kit to build your own Sunnev. The kit costs $5,500 and takes an estimated 80-120 man hours to build. The Sunnev is yet another innovative alternative to a gas powered vehicle. As long as you don’t need to travel faster than 25mph, it’s perfect for short jaunts around town and the neighborhood, saving gas and emissions. (see the YouTube video )
To see what is included in the kit go to http://www.sunnev.com/sunn_kit.htm, check out pricing here, or contact Mr. Haines through his website www.sunnev.com.
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