The SunPod was developed by the aptly named SunPod Inc. with the assistance of Bauer Intelligent Transportation, a green transportation company that assisted in bringing the device up to the anti-pollution standards enacted by the State of California. Consisting of an on-board battery bank that is connected to a solar energy system, solar energy will be created by four thin film solar panels that run along the bus lengthwise.
The solar energy created by the panels that are stored in the batteries will power the air conditioning and wireless internet connectivity equipment whenever the bus engine is turned off.
"We support the state’s strong commitment to reducing pollution. At the same time, as a transportation provider, we wanted to meet our customers' requirements for comfort and connectivity," stated Gary Bauer, founder and owner of Bauer's Intelligent Transportation. "SunPods was able to make our vision a reality in less than 6 weeks. We've been testing the bus for the past 4 weeks and we're impressed with the reliable performance."
A prototype of the SunPod was put on display February 26 at the Cleantech Open National Launch in San Francisco.
