Important Innovations

  UC Berkeley Students' Solar Car Zephyr                                                                      Source:  UC Berkeley Heading into Road Race Competition at the American Solar Challenge Engineering students at UC Berkeley have built a road-ready, registered solar car called Zephyr.  To say the least, the vehicle is eye-catching.  It closely resembles a flying saucer.  But, it is a fully functional solar/electric powered car. Zephyr has been cleared for driving and has a California license plate.  The UC Berkeley student inventors are putting Zephyr into national competition.  It's heading for the 5 day, 1,000 mile road race between Independence, Missouri and Las Vegas, N.M. called the American Solar Challenge, which is a race among solar cars for their solar power endurance. Unique & One-of-a-Kind One of the creators, recent graduate Alexander Zerkle, says that the EV "is a hand-made, unique, one-of-a-kind car".  He says it looks like a flying saucer b

  UC Berkeley Students' Solar Car Zephyr                                                                      Source:  UC Berkeley Heading into Road Race Competition at the American Solar Challenge Engineering students at UC Berkeley have built a road-ready, registered solar car called Zephyr.  To say the least, the vehicle is eye-catching.  It closely resembles a flying saucer.  But, it is a fully functional solar/electric powered car. Zephyr has been cleared for driving and has a California license plate.  The UC Berkeley student inventors are putting Zephyr into national competition.  It's heading for the 5 day, 1,000 mile road race between Independence, Missouri and Las Vegas, N.M. called the American Solar Challenge, which is a race among solar cars for their solar power endurance. Unique & One-of-a-Kind One of the creators, recent graduate Alexander Zerkle, says that the EV "is a hand-made, unique, one-of-a-kind car".  He says it looks like a flying saucer b

Record Breaking, Solar Powered Plane with First Launch Base in Australia Source:  Airbus Zephyr   Ready for Takeoff:  Is It a Plane or Satellite? Airbus's Zephyr S HAPS (Solar High Altitude Pseudo Satellite) is a solar plane worth watching.  It has set an all time record by staying aloft for more than 25 days.  The flight was over Arizona in late summer 2018.  It soared to 70,000 feet, which is well above most clouds and aircraft. It now has a site in Wyndham, Western Australia as a flight base to launch into the stratosphere. It will fill a gap to provide persistent, local satellite services. Specs The wing span is 82 feet.  It's a solar powered UAV and weighs only 165 pounds.  The low weight along with a unique power management system help it consume a lot less energy.  Despite the fact that it's solar powered, it keeps its elevation all night.  No other solar-powered plane can do that.  For more stories on new aviation and travel innovation, check out this ama