Video: Green Overdrive takes a spin in a solar-charged electric Volvo 240

Solyndra engineer Michael Ahern recently looked on Craigslist for a used Volvo 240. Why? The vehicle – a $150 fixer-upper that's seen better days – was to be the starting point for Ahern's DIY solar-charged electric vehicle project.

The 240 began life as a lowly family sedan powered by a gasoline engine, but in the hands of Ahern, the Volvo slowly (over a year and about 100 hours of labor) transformed into one of the cheapest electric vehicles on the road. Total cost: around $7,000. With some assistance from his daughter, Ahern's electrified Volvo went from a gas burnin' machine to a clutchless, manual transmission-equipped sedan that hits highway speeds and is charged by the power of the sun via tube-shaped, roof-mounted Solyndra solar panels. See more by hitting the jump to check out Ahern's solar-charged electric Volvo 240 with Giga OM's Katie Fehrenbacher.

[Source: Giga OM]