• Solar panels are installed on the car.solar powered car image by Yali Shi from Fotolia.com
  
  Solar energy is energy that comes from the sun. Solar panels are used to collect this energy and store it in batteries. Solar energy is a relative new idea when it comes to cars. Solar panels on cars can be used to power the car and move it without the means of other resources. Solar powered cars have some advantages, but have disadvantages as well.
  
  

Battery Power

• One major disadvantage of a solar-powered car is the battery used in it. The battery may have to be used often in solar powered cars because of the weather. If it's dark outside or the sun isn't out, the battery will have to be used in order for you to drive it. The battery in solar powered cars tends to run down more quickly than that of a fuel powered car. Charging the battery can take several hours, depending on how low it is. And if there isn't direct sunlight, it can take even longer than that.
  
  

Quantity of Solar Panels

• Another disadvantage of a solar powered car is the large number of solar panels that are required to make it go. The solar panels on the car have low energy production and thus, to produce the right amount of electricity, a large number of solar panels are needed. This requirement can become very expensive for the car owner when it comes time for the solar panels to be replaced.
  
  

Expensive

• Solar powered cars tend to be more expensive than other types of cars. This price difference is the result of the more expensive equipment used to run them. The photovoltaic solar cells (which are used to convert sunlight into electricity) are the most expensive. Depending on the brand, a solar powered car can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.