How I Made a Functional Solar Car With Recycled Materials

Hi readers in this Instructables I will be showing you how I made this Amazing Solar Car Model that is Powered by the Sun and Recycled Parts!

I'm happy to share my creation because it is not only eco-friendly but also made from recycled materials, showcasing the true power of recycling and renewable energy.

The model looks very simple but on the other hand it is packed with lots of educational topics that we will be knowing further.

Now you may wonder is this really made from recycled materials because the model looks soo good, Yes your questions are answered below!

The solar panel, which was once part of an electronic lamp, has found a new purpose in our solar car model.

What does it do here?

It harnesses the sunlight and converts it into electricity, providing the energy needed to propel the car forward. It's incredible to think that a simple recycled solar panel can make such a big difference!

But that's not all! The motor that drives the car is a recycled component from an old CD drive.

By repurposing this motor, we're giving it a second life and reducing waste in the process. It's an excellent example of how we can find innovative solutions by reusing existing materials.

Now, let's talk about the wheels. Believe it or not, they were crafted using duct tape holders and Old Paint Lids. By utilizing these unexpected material, we've managed to create functional wheels that enable the car to roll smoothly on various surfaces.

Who would have thought that something as simple as duct tape holders could play a vital role in our solar car model?

This solar car model represents the power of creativity, recycling, and renewable energy. It's an answer to the fact that even everyday objects can be transformed into something extraordinary and useful.

I hope that this inspiring creation encourages others to explore the possibilities of recycling and renewable energy, sparking a positive change for our planet.

Note: I will be going in depth about this project as i wanted this world to know more and more about recycling, reading more and more means more knowledge. if you don't love reading you can directly jump to the further steps.

What I wanted to show from this project?

Note: Keep in mind that this model represents a simplified version of a solar-powered vehicle. It may not be able to achieve the same performance as a full-scale car. However, it still serves as a proof of concept and can generate enthusiasm for the potential of solar energy in transportation.

Eco-friendly transportation- By using recycled materials, you have contributed to reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Your solar car model showcases the importance of repurposing and recycling items to create functional vehicles, highlighting the potential for eco-friendly transportation solutions.

Solar-powered mobility- Your solar car model demonstrates the concept of harnessing solar energy for propulsion. It showcases the potential of solar power as a clean and renewable energy source for transportation, emphasizing the importance of sustainable energy alternatives.

Educational value- This project has great educational value. It provides you with a hands-on learning experience in engineering and renewable energy. You have gained practical knowledge about constructing a solar-powered vehicle and understanding the principles behind its operation.

Creativity and problem-solving skill- Building a working solar car model from recycled materials requires creativity and problem-solving skills. By utilizing items such as a recycled solar panel from an electronic lamp and a motor from a CD drive, you have demonstrated resourcefulness and the ability to repurpose objects in innovative ways.

Understanding electrical systems- Developing a solar car model involves understanding electrical systems and their components. By integrating the recycled motor from a CD drive into your model, you have gained insight into how motors work and their role in converting electrical energy into mechanical motion.

Mechanical design and construction- Creating a functional solar car model requires mechanical design and construction skills. The process of assembling the wheels made from duct tape holders and integrating the various components of the car has provided you with hands-on experience in these areas.

To begin with let us go through the supplies that is required to build this solar car.

Supplies

1.Recycled Solar Panel from an Electronic Lamp

I had a lamp that had non working battery and LEDs and i made use of the solar panel obtained from that lamp. These discarded solar panels can be repurposed to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity.

2.Recycled Motor from a CD Drive

Another important component for your solar car is a recycled motor sourced from a CD drive. By salvaging this motor we can provide a driving force for your miniature vehicle

3.Other components from CD drive

Shaft and shaft holders were also salvaged from here

4.Wheels from Duct Tape Holders and Small Paint Lids

For wheels movement, we need wheels that are lightweight, durable, and easy to construct. so i made use of duct tape holders and small paint lids to serve as the foundation for your car's wheels. These discarded items can be creatively transformed into perfectly functional wheels that you can see how in further steps.

5.Color pen caps, sheet of paper and Elastic band

6.Hot glue and Super glue

7.Cardboard pieces and 2 Popsicle sticks

Step 1: Removing the Motors

It is very easy to remove the dc motors, there will be 2 screws that will be attached to front panel of motor.

Use the screwdriver to remove the screws, after you remove the 2 screws you should be able to remove the dc motor from the frame.

For the shaft i will be using the steel rod that is present on the frame, you can see that i'am showing the shaft by pointing a screwdriver on image 4 on this step

Removing shafts is also very easy, just unscrew the screws and you are good to go

The shafts should move inside a tube, even for this we have an object readily available on the cd frame.

You can just pull them off with your hand and those come out very easily.

By the end of this step you will have DC Motor, Shaft and shaft holders ready.

Thank you PCBWAY

I thank PCBWAY for sponsoring this project

They provide an amazing service if you are willing to make electronic projects they can provide you with any type of PCB as per your requirement

They have come up with an initiative of sponsorship schemes, Know more about this here https://www.pcbway.com/project/sponsor/learnsponsor.aspx

For high-quality Flex Board, i recommend you to use PCBWAY click here to get your PCB today

Step 2: Making the Wheels

To begin with take out the caps from your used up paint jars(mine was fabric paint jars)

These lids might have some paint sticking on it, you can easily remove them by gently scratching it with a screwdriver and later wash them if necessary.

We need a center point to attach shaft to these lids/wheels.

To get the center point i traced the outer side of lid on a sheet of paper, and i cut them

Fold these paper on either sides to get the center.

Place this paper on the cap and mark the center.

I made use of the compass to make a hole, you can later enlarge the hole if necessary.

Now you can add these wheels/lids to the duct tape holders that make the outer wheels

Here the paint lids fit inside the duct tape holders altogether making a wheel for the solar car.

Step 3: Preparing the Front Engine

Front engine i mean because this drives the entire solar car forward.

The dc motor that we took out from the cd driver still has a plastic gear on the shaft, you can remove this using a wire trimmer even though this can be removed with the help of hands i recommend to use these wire trimmers.

Now like in the earlier steps mark the center point and punch a hole so that dc motor shaft would fit inside this.

Finish off your front engine by adding a small amount of super glue on the tip.

Step 4: Making the Rear Wheel

Insert the shaft that we saved earlier inside the wheel holes.

You may need to enlarge the holes in some cases if the shaft appears to be slightly large.

Insert the shaft inside hole add a drop of superglue.

Now before adding the second wheel to the shaft add those shaft supports/holders and later work with the second shaft.

Finish the rear wheels by adding few drops of glue wherever necessary.

By the end of this step we have our rear wheel ready.

Step 5: Making the Frame

Frame or solar car body is made from cardboard and to increase the strength i will be adding popsicle sticks to increase the strength.

i have made a small template according to the electronics that i was able to scavenge.

Those dc motors come in standard sizes and you are free to use these templates.

Just mark these measurements on a piece of cardboard and cut them.

To the base of the cardboard glue 2 pieces of popsicle sticks as shown in the visuals.

These popsicle sticks help in having a good strength to the solar car when its working.

Step 6: Assembly

We will start with the front wheel, just add few drops of hot glue to the back part of dc motor.

Place it on the frame as shown in in visual 2 of this step and allow glue to dry.

Now after this is complete, add hot glue to the back part of the frame and install the rear wheel

Here you should make a note that the shaft holders/supports are inside the frame.

Maintain proper alignment in this step as the direction of movement matters when the car is working.

Step 7: Gripping the Wheels

Mere wheels is not good enough for this solar car to work in different terrains!

To add a proper grip to the wheels i made use of elastic bands.

Just add the elastic bands to the wheels and to retain the bands on wheels add some super glue across few areas of band this ensure no-slipping and proper gripping of the wheels.

Repeat the same steps for al the wheels.

Step 8: Finishing Off With Solar Panel

This is the end part of project! here you should be aware of the direction of motor rotation.

This depends on the placement of motor, if you followed the exact same steps as I did you should connect the positive of solar panel to negative of dc motor and vice versa.

Why positive and negative terminals matter?

If you are not familiar with working of dc motors let me tell you one thing clockwise and anti clockwise direction of motor depends on the + and - of power /solar panel.

So before connecting the wires to motor cross check the direction if not the solar car might work in reverse way!

After soldering the wires to panel connect those wires to dc motor and glue the joins.

Why hot glue the joints?

Because it provides insulation.

To raise the panel I will be using the caps of color pens that I found on my drawer!

Glue the base later followed by the top, Allow the glue to dry completely and the solar car is ready to be used

Step 9: How to Use

This is the best part of building a project where the creator will be waiting to see the results of hos hard work

Even I did the same! I took this solar car out and just exposed the solar panel to sunlight

The motor started to spin and then I left the solar car on ground

To my surprise the solar car took off very fast than what I expected

I tested this solar car on a concrete floor but if you are using any smoot surface i think it will work even more faster.

I was happy to see that the materials that were thrown as junk has come a very long way and is being used into something useful.

Step 10: Working Video of Solar Car

Here is the complete step by step video instructions on building this project, you should be able to watch the video directly if you face any issue you can directly copy and paste this video link on your browser. Video link https://youtu.be/9Q0gNfJ-Zng

Hope you found this project useful, Thank you and have a great day :)