How to Build a Solar-Powered Toy Car

Solar power can be used for anything that requires electricity to run as long as solar panels are used. This is true for toy cars too. Solar-powered toy cars make a great experiment for teaching about solar energy. They're also fun to build and play with.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• DC motor 2v, 145mAmps
• Small pulley
• Rubber band
• Motor clip
• Plastic bottle
• Drill
• Instant glue
• Solar panel
• Tape
• Angled platform (optional), 4 1/2 inch by 2 3/4 inch

Make the Car Body

1. Cut the wood board slightly larger than the plastic bottle that you are using for the car body. This will act as the body platform. Foam board could be used here just as well but wood holds up better.

2. Cut two small sections of foam board to the same width as the body platform and about 2 inches in length. Glue these reinforcing blocks to the top and bottom edge of the body platform. Use a ruler to mark a dot on each of the reinforcing blocks that's 1 inch from the front and the side. There'll be four dots total.

3. Screw in a screw eye in each dot. Make sure the two eyes per axle are approximately the same height off the board.

4. Use the dowel rods as axle material. Measure the axle material so that the wheels will be approximately 1 inch outside of the platform on each side. With a saw, cut the two dowel rods and use sandpaper to sand the tips so that they fit the wheels tightly.

5. Attach one wheel to the axle then slip the axle through the screw eyes before attaching the second wheel. The fit between wheel and axle must be tight. On the front axle, put the large pulley on the axle between the platform body and the right wheel. Make sure the wheels on one axle match and the wheels on the second axle match.

Make the Car Engine

6. Put the motor into the motor clip and attach the small pulley to the motor's shaft. Place the rubber band around the large pulley and the small pulley and use the tautness of the rubber band to indicate where you glue the motor clip onto the platform body. The rubber band must be taunt but not overstretched.

7. Remove the rubber band and glue the motor clip on the body platform near the right front wheel. Make sure the engine wire's still available for attachment.

8. Thread the rubber band back onto the motor pulley and the drive pulley.

9. Drill a hole through the top and bottom of the plastic bottle. Run the wire through the holes. Glue the bottle to the platform.

10. Connect the engine wires to the solar panel wires. Attach the solar panel to the top of the bottle with glue. If you wanted an angled solar panel, make it out of an additional piece of foam board and small blocks. Then attach the angled platform to the bottle, then the solar panel to the platform. Tape any loose wires onto the car body so that they don't drag on the floor.

Tips & Warnings

• The car can be built with either the solar panel being flat or raised. Raised platforms can make the car go faster but only in one direction (towards the sun). It works in other directions, but slower.
• It's a good idea to keep the solar panel covered while wiring it to the engine so the engine doesn't turn on immediately.

Resources

• Build a car from an electric model kit.
• See pictures of student-built solar toy cars.