American – Australian Tribrid  (AAT)         Overview Tribrids Contact   Imagine That! Most personal transportation needs relate primarily to land travel so your choices among tribrid vehicles incorporating on-board recharging systems are currently fairly limited. Basically you are left to choose between certain experimental models, including those you might try building yourself. Other than the Helios aircraft and the Solar Sailor mentioned previously we have seen no practical examples of vehicles utilizing on-board recharging stations. As close as we come presently to on-board recharging stations in land vehicles are the experimental solar-powered racecars equipped with short-term battery-powered back-up systems. While an on-board system may be preferable, a fixed-base approach still has a lot going for it. Assume, for example, that you ultimately choose to go the fixed-base route in combination with a modified hybrid-electric vehicle. You could walk outside your office at the end of the day to find your “tribrid” blissfully cooling its wheels beneath the shade of the solar panel that is simultaneously recharging its batteries. Assuming sufficient batteries, a full recharge and a short commute, it is entirely possible that your tribrid will be able to avoid running its on-board electrical generator at all while underway. In the best of all possible cases you may be also be able to avoid running your tribrid fossil fuel engine as well, relying purely on those plentiful, solar-charged batteries to satisfy all of your vehicle short-term power requirements.       Technology Availability HOME