When it comes to energy creation, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You have to spend energy to make energy. Fortunately, with solar panels, we can make the sun do all the work and reap the benefits. Problem is, solar panels typically don't create enough energy to juice up an electric car nearly enough to cover your daily driving needs. However, BMW threw down the gauntlet to students at Clemson University to create an electric vehicle that can actually make more energy than it uses in a single day of urban commuting. And the students did it.
The result is called Deep Orange 17. It was developed through Clemson's Deep Orange program, in which graduate students develop fully functional prototype vehicles alongside industry partners. BMW issued the challenge to Deep Orange students in 2024, and two years later, they now have a fully functioning solar-powered vehicle vehicle. Even if it looks like a cardboard shoe.
Photo by: BMW
Essentially every square inch of the exterior surface area is covered in solar panels, with more than 1,700 photovoltaic cells built into its skin. That way, it can harvest the sun's energy while parked, while on the move, and when stuck in traffic. No matter where the sun is in the sky, the Deep Orange 17 can soak up its rays. Its panels, which were developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, can also soak up the sun even when they're in the shade. That orange color is part of a durable outer film that helps protect the panels.
