A Taxi That Runs on Sunshine

Well, this isn’t a typical taxi in that it chauffeurs people around, but then again, the Solar Taxi is anything but typical. Lewis Palmer is the mastermind behind this peculiar-looking car that carries solar panels on an attached flatbed. Not one drop of gas, or any other kind of solution goes into the running of the car; it is purely powered by the sun and can drive up to sixty miles an hour.

Does this thing really work? Yes! While it has normal car troubles (flat tires and the like), the Solar Taxi rarely breaks down and just made the United States its 28th country visited. Palmer is a schoolteacher originally from Switzerland, who dreamed of building a solar-powered car as a kid, back when such ideas were a lot more obscure.

Palmer believes in making a difference one person (or car!) at a time in his desire for everyone to go green. CNN has a video interview with him, and the Solar Taxi web site is worth checking out for the mission statement behind the endeavor and a schedule of “appearances.” Do you think solar-powered vehicles are the cars of the future? [CNN]