Solar-Mobility is the open community for solar-powered e-bikes, trikes, campers and everything else that moves on sunlight. Browse real builds, share yours, go further.
Community builds
Boats
Alstersonne – Hamburg’s Solar Boat on the Alster
Hamburg's Alster lakes in the middle of the city have been crossed by passenger boats for over 150 years. In 2000 the operator Alster-Touristik (ATG) added…
2 Wheels · Trailer
Emmanuel Thevenin – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2026
Emmanuel Thevenin (France) took part in Sun Trip Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, the long-distance adventure on solar-powered bikes held since 2013. The machine is a solar bike. For…
4 Wheels
Green Lightning & Green Thunder – Top Dutch Solar Racing
Most solar racing teams belong to one university. Top Dutch Solar Racing from Groningen is different: since 2017 it has brought together students from several universities…
Planes
Pathfinder-Plus – Solar Wing Record at 80,201 Feet
NASA's dream of a solar aircraft that could fly for months like a satellite was developed step by step. Pathfinder-Plus was the second step, between the…
2 Wheels · Trailer
Christophe Bioud – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2020
Christophe Bioud (France) took part in Sun Trip France 2020 and Sun Trip Tour 2017, the long-distance adventure on solar-powered bikes held since 2013. The machine…
5+ Wheels
Byron Bay Solar Train – The First Solar-Powered Passenger Train
Solar mobility is not only about bikes and cars. In Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, a beautifully restored vintage train runs along the coast powered…
3 Wheels · Trailer
Patrice Gardin – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2026
Patrice Gardin (France) took part in Sun Trip Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, the long-distance adventure on solar-powered bikes held since 2013. The machine is a solar trike. Patrice…
3 Wheels · Trailer
Gilles Ratia – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2022
Gilles Ratia took part in Sun Trip Alpes 2022 and Breizh Sun Trip 2021, the long-distance adventure on solar-powered bikes held since 2013. The machine is…
Planes
NASA Centurion – The 63-Metre Step Between Pathfinder and Helios
On our site you can already read about two NASA solar wings: Pathfinder-Plus, which flew to 80,201 feet, and Helios, which reached almost 29 km. Between…
How it works
The guide · preorder
Everything you need to build your own solar-powered e-bike: choosing panels, wiring, charge controllers and batteries, explained step by step by the community.
Solar charging, explained
Solar e-bikes, pedelecs, trikes and campers all work on the same idea: a solar panel turns daylight into electricity, a charge controller feeds it safely into the battery, and every hour of sun adds range.
A pedelec only assists while you pedal (in the EU up to 25 km/h and 250 W); most people simply call it an e-bike. A solar e-bike either carries its own solar panel on the bike, the rack or a trailer, or it is a normal electric bike charged with solar power at home. Both ride on sunshine instead of the grid.
For a typical 36 V or 48 V e-bike battery, plan on a 100–200 W solar panel. Either the panel charges the battery directly through an MPPT charge controller with a boost converter, or it fills a small power station and you plug in your normal charger. In full summer sun, a 400–500 Wh battery is full in about a day.
Range depends on capacity in watt-hours (Wh): a pedelec uses roughly 7–15 Wh per kilometre, depending on terrain and assist level. Most e-bike batteries are lithium-ion (NMC); for campers, trikes and trailers many solar builders prefer LiFePO4, which is safer, lasts thousands of cycles and copes well with daily partial charging. Keep the battery cool and never charge a damaged pack.
Lightweight flexible solar panels fit racks, cargo bikes and trike roofs; rigid glass panels give more watts per euro on a solar bike trailer or a camper. Rule of thumb: in good sun, every 100 W of panel adds around 20–40 km of assisted riding per day.
On adventures like the Sun Trip, riders often cover more than 100 km a day on solar power alone: the panel charges while you ride and during breaks, so the battery rarely runs empty. The real gain is independence from sockets – at the campsite, on the mountain pass and on long days off-grid.
Most builds in this community are DIY: a standard e-bike or a conversion kit, a 100–300 W panel, an MPPT controller matched to the battery voltage, fuses and good connectors. Our guide Ride on Sunshine walks you through panels, wiring, charge controllers and batteries step by step.
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Bon voyage
A community of riders and tinkerers driven by a single mission: maximising range through solar energy. From Europe to every continent.
The open community for solar-powered e-bikes, trikes, campers and everything else that moves on sunlight. Browse real builds, share yours, go further.
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