As this is a solar powered vehicle I should probably say something about the solar panels. The panels I am using are 95 watt Tenesol 95 watt monocrystaline panels. Each of the 4 panels measure 556mm x 1231mm. This has been the determining factor in the width of the vehicle. I wanted to make sure the bumps from the vehicle didn't transfer directly to the panels, so I wanted to avoid directly bolting the panels on to the frame. Instead I built shock mounts by cutting thick rubber washers from old tires. The washers then sandwich the rail on the panel. This keeps the panel in place, but still allows the frame to flex a bit to avoid shattering.

The charge controller is an EP Solar 4215bn 40 amp mppt charge controller. I really like this controller. It has a great heat sink, and a fairly well understood communication protocol that can be captured by an Arduino.

It sits in the rear section of the front half. I mounted a 24v case fan across from the controller which turns on when the compartment reaches a set temperature which can be adjusted from the front control panel.