VW project: Solar panel hand-formed, installation nears

TVs adorn the inside, DVD players will be hidden to the eye but pop out at a moment’s notice and a foldout in the rear will hold a grill for all your tailgating needs. Yes, it’s six weeks into the Volkswagen project, and the solar panel—a key aspect of the car’s environmental-friendly nature—is being hand-formed for a custom fit.

“It’s the most challenging thing so far,” said Robert, who has worked solely on the van for the past month.

The 1968 Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter—also known as a microbus—is a plan by Leif Hansen to turn the vehicle into a state-of-the-art alternative fuel drive train, encompassing the latest in electric motors, lithium-ion batteries, solar panels on the expansive roof and a natural gas-fired generator to increase the van’s range.

But, it’s the solar panel—“completely hand-formed,” says Robert—that’s the next step in a process that’s expected to be completed in July, 2012.

Robert’s been working with metals since he was 13 years old, but it’s the creativity and awe of this expansive project that has him excited.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” he said.