SunRed’s Solar Powered Motorbike

Equipping a car or SUV with solar panels would be relatively easy seeing as there is plenty of surface area. Just think, the latest incarnation of the box-like hummer sporting solar panels head to toe. Anyways, SunRed is attempting to create a motorbike that is fueled by solar power. The only problem is that motorcycles don’t exactly have enough surface area to cover with solar panels. The solution? Turn a relatively sleek craft into a big, honkin’, snail-esque, monstrosity.

That’s right. If you’re looking to cut your bike’s dependency on gasoline you’re going to have to sacrifice the wind in your hair and look like a total moron. What’s more SunRed claims that the bike’s new 25 square feet of solar paneling will harness enough of the sun’s energy to let you about 13 miles at up to about 30 miles per hour. Groundbreaking and world changing! Not quite. Most sport bikes today get average MPG somewhere in the 30’s and 40’s, not to mention they can go four times as fast. Plus, this means that I would hardly be able to make it to Wawa and back on this thing, and it would take me almost twice as long to do it. Plus because this thing requires sun to charge up you’ll have to leave it in your driveway for all of your neighbors to gawk at.

[Via Engadget]