About this project
Edgar Tournon, an engineer from INSA Lyon and PhD student, built his solar bike as part of his thesis project. It is chainless and stores energy in two ways: a homemade 1,130 Wh battery plus a supercapacitor for fast power peaks.
With an RH212 motor and 510 Wp of solar, the bike weighs only about 45 kg. He rode most legs of the Sun Trip France 2020.
“The Sun Trip is above all a superb technical challenge which allows me to combine several passions: the design of rolling machines, meeting people, sharing skills and popularising new forms of mobility.”
Technical data
| Builder | Edgar Tournon (France) |
|---|---|
| Concept | Chainless solar bike, battery + supercapacitor |
| Motor | RH212 |
| Battery | Homemade 1,130 Wh |
| Solar | 510 Wp |
| Weight | ~45 kg |
| Sun Trip | France 2020 |
Links
- Facebook: m.facebook.com/edgar.tournon
Sources
Photos and details come from the rider’s profile on The Sun Trip website.
Keep exploringMore solar projects
2 WheelsRoger Caulier – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
2 WheelsDerick Smith – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
PlanesSolarStratos – Climbing Toward the Stratosphere on Sunlight
BoatsSerpentine Solar Shuttle – London’s Solar Boat in Hyde Park
2 WheelsFrançoise Denel – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2018
3 WheelsEmil Barbut – Solar Velomobile on The Sun Trip 2021
3 WheelsPatrice Plozner – A Homemade Trike with 1.5 kWh
3 WheelsSolarcamper
3 WheelsJean-Clauder Keller – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2026
2 WheelsQuentin Marlot – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
2 WheelsStéphane Caffo – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
2 WheelsRichard Defay – Photoniqmomentum, a Two-Wheel-Drive Recumbent
2 WheelsRémi Dufour – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
2 Wheels · TrailerArno Liégeon – Solar Recumbent on The Sun Trip 2015
3 WheelsSunswift IVy – The Fastest Car on Pure Solar Power
2 WheelsDario Ciani – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
2 WheelsCharles Chantrenne – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
3 WheelsClean Motion Zbee – A 230 kg Electric Trike from Sweden
2 WheelsThomas Pollet – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2015
3 WheelsOrganic Transit ELF – The Solar Velomobile
BoatsSolifleur – One of the First Solar Passenger Boats
3 WheelsSolar Eagle II – Cal State LA’s Pole-Position Racer
2 Wheels · TrailerMichel Bamps – Riding Against Diabetes
3 WheelsAnne-Sophie & Justin – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2018
3 WheelsSibylle & Daniel – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2021
2 Wheels · TrailerEric Malmezac – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
4 WheelsMercedes-Benz / Alpha Real – Winner of the First Solar Car Race
3 WheelsXOF1 – Marcelo da Luz’s Solar Car to the Arctic Ocean
2 WheelsChloé George – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
4 WheelsToyota RaRa II – A Solar Car Built to Lead Marathons
3 Wheels · TrailerValérie & Denis – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2026
3 WheelsSky Ace TIGA – The Fastest Solar Car in the World
BoatsSolaaris – Münster’s Solar Water Bus on the Aasee
BoatsElektronemo – Prague’s Solar Boat in the Devil’s Channel
2 WheelsMichel Cosandier – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
2 WheelsMichael Polák – A Czech Solar Cargo Recumbent
2 WheelsPhilippe Passard – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2021
4 WheelsDethleffs e.home – A Motorhome Covered in 31 m² of Solar Film
PlanesElektra One Solar – A Light Aircraft with Solar Wings
3 Wheels · TrailerBertrand Goudenhooft – An Azub Trike and 900 W on a Trailer
3 WheelsVincent Gallego – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2024
2 WheelsPierre Michon – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
3 WheelsSebastian MEYER – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2021
2 WheelsJean-Yves Schneeberger – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2017
3 WheelsThomas Papay – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2015
2 WheelsAndré Jacquinet – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2026
2 WheelsRobin Moulin – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
2 WheelsNathalie Morel – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
2 WheelsSilvia & Christophe – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2019
4 WheelsStella Vita – A Solar-Powered House on Wheels
2 WheelsBenoit Ganivet – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2019
3 WheelsJean-Louis Merelle – A Self-Orienting Solar Trike
PlanesPathfinder-Plus – Solar Wing Record at 80,201 Feet
2 Wheels · TrailerMiguel Letor – A Fresh Engineer on a Borrowed Solar Trailer
2 WheelsSunnyclist – A Greek Solar Bicycle with 360 W
2 Wheels · TrailerAntoine Conort – A Budget Solar Bike from Decathlon Parts
2 WheelsEric Silvestre – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
PlanesNASA Helios – The Solar Wing That Flew to 29 km
4 WheelsSunswift 7 – 1,000 km on One Charge in Under 12 Hours
PlanesSolar Impulse 2 – Flying Around the World on Sunlight
2 WheelsNTS SunCycle – The Solar Cargo Bike
3 WheelsDaniel Gygi – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2026
2 WheelsAntonio De Chiara – Solar Tandem on The Sun Trip 2015
4 WheelsStella Vie – The Solar Family Car from Eindhoven
2 WheelsPierre Venzon – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022
2 Wheels · TrailerStéphane Bertrand – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2018
2 WheelsThomas Follain – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2023
3 WheelsGilles Michaud – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2026
3 WheelsSteve Woolford – Solar Trike on The Sun Trip 2020
2 WheelsPénélope Leblond – Solar Bike on The Sun Trip 2022