This company is called "Solar Roadways" and it makes, unsurprisingly, roads that are made of interlocking, hexagonal solar panels. The company says that if the USA were to replace the entire interstate system with solar panels, it would produce more energy than the USA consumes.
While the panels are made of tempered glass, they have been engineered not to be slippery, although we're still curious to know exactly what the traction difference is between tarmac and these panels. The roads are self-lighting, using LED lane markings, and also heat themselves to remove ice and snow. The designers even envision a future in which electric cars use inducting charging while driving, so that they never have to stop and charge.
Of course, there are some downsides, like the fact that each road would have to be flanked by trenches full of wires, and the fact that this would cost a bloody fortune. In the long run, if it works properly, we think it would pay off. Investing in efficient infrastructure is almost always a good idea.
Right now the company has installed a small amount of its product for testing, but it needs to raise $1 Million to continue testing the product. Some of that money is being raised via this Indiegogo campaign.
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[via Indiegogo]
