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Cybertruck The Solar-Powered Steel Tortoise
Elon Musk revealed additional options for the Cybertruck.
Will be an option to add solar power that generates 15 miles per day, possibly more. Would love this to be self-powered. Adding fold out solar wings would generate 30 to 40 miles per day. Avg miles per day in US is 30.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2019
It's a little appreciated fact about Tesla's electric motors that they don't need gears to go as fast or as slow as you want...
Fans of science fiction Grandmaster Robert Heinlein recall the Steel Tortoise from his 1940 novella Coventry:
The vehicle he had chosen was ... was extremely rugged, easy to operate, and almost foolproof. It drew its power from six square yards of sunpower screens on its low curved roof. These drove a constant- load motor, or, when halted, replenished the storage battery against cloudy weather, or night travel.It could maintain a steady six miles per hour on smooth, level pavement. When confronted by hills, or rough terrain, it did not stop, but simply slowed until the task demanded equaled its steady power output.
(Read more about Heinlein's solar-powered steel tortoise ATV)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/11/2019)
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'The steel tortoise gave MacKinnon a feeling of Crusoe- like independence.' - Robert Heinlein, 1940.
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Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
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