They're already out there on the road.
Posted on 07/07/2019 7:09:46 PM PDT by ETL
What's not to like about this concept: high-efficiency solar cells gifting electric cars with mileage.
Bertel Schmitt, The Drive, said, "The solar roof could morph from mostly a marketing-device to a helpful feature."
He noted that, referring to plug-ins, "On a fair-weather day, the juice would be provided by the sun, a big improvement especially for people who don't have their own garage."
Toyota has ambitions over the concept and is to start testing an onboard solar recharging system where the hood, the roof, and back are covered with cells.
The solar roof can charge while the car is on the move.
It did not escape Interesting Engineering's notice that the new solar battery cell can fit a larger surface.
"The solar battery cell is a thin film about 0.03 mm thick.
Because it is so thin, it can fit the curves of the vehicle including the roof, hood, and rear hatch door," said the report.
Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch, said at center stage was the new and improved version of the solar power cells previously launched on the Japan-exclusive Prius PHV.
The Toyota news release said "the demo car employs a system that charges the driving battery while the vehicle is parked and also while it's being driven."
This was seen as an interesting development expected to lead to improvements in the electric car's cruising range and fuel efficiency.
"Previously, the Prius PHV charged the driving battery only while the vehicle was parked.
However, with improvements in power generation output, the demo car employs a system that charges while the vehicle is being driven.
This is expected to boost the BEV-mode cruising range and fuel efficiency significantly," said Toyota.
They're already out there on the road.
Wow! Seagulls ought to love that one!
Do you know if acidic seagull droppings will eat through the top layer?
Better to uses horses or oxen.
Get the fuel and the horsepower!
(And maybe a way to switch from oxen in city driving to horses on the highway.)
You may see solar power coatings on drones before cars.
bout enough to run the dome light, if you don't open the doors to often
5 miles might get you to a gas station.
Where you could call a tow truck to take you to a charging station.
“Not enough surface area to generate any significant energy compared to typical vehicle use.”
Using the newest super efficient (34%) solar cells, and plastering the whole top surface and most of the rear window/hatch, they seem to be getting into the low end of the ball park. Not a standalone power source for a real general purpose vehicle, but possibly for a short haul urban commuter vehicle (or golf cart), or to run A/C and a TV/computer for many hours at a halt.
“The solar module with an 860 Watts output enough to power a small microwave could add 44.5 km, or some 28 miles, to the pure-electric range of the car. What’s more, the new module provides solar power also when the car is driven, resulting in a total sun-provided pure battery range of 56.3 km, or 35 miles. All data as per Toyota’s press release, non-EPA, your solar mileage may differ.
Considering that Toyota rates the pure electric range of a standard-issue Prius PHV at 68 km (42 miles), or 25 mile EPA, the bottom line of this experiment is that with those new solar cells, owners of a plug-in Prius would no longer have to plug in.” (On a fair-weather day).
Or, for a retiree or person working from home you could potentially have a hundred miles or more of range to work with if the car is parked outside in a given sunny week, and still maybe half that in overcast. I can see that being very appealing under certain circumstances if the car is not too awfully expensive. Buying one off lease that’s a few years old might be a good deal if the battery and solar don’t degrade much in that time. I’ve heard of first generation Priuses being used as taxis abroad going many hundreds of thousands of miles without the battery pack going bad. Something to consider, could be a great thing for a second vehicle or primary if you do mostly local driving. Have to keep the roof clean and clear though, not a vehicle for someone who seldom washes their car.
Why aren’t ‘free market’ charging stations showing up? Charge an arm and a leg, but it’s worth it.
Or maybe they are.
I patented a 857 mile long extension cord...but nobody seemed interested.
Dittos to your post #11.
Screw that—I’m gonna put a mast and a damned bowsprit on my Honda Odyssey and raise me a big fat ol’ spinnaker to haul me down Rt. 95.
Get back to me when they do this with wind turbines.
That will buff right out will lose it’s meaning entirely.
A fenderbender would mean replacing solar panels at
what cost???
Various companies are working on solar cells that are integrated with windows, so that the windows of office buildings, for example, can produce power. Others are working on solar cells that can be applied like paint. If Toyota made solar cells out of the windows, the car could produce some extra power, and look exactly the same are their current cars.
Was THAT you on the show?? I thought the idea sounded familiar!
"a 857 mile long extension cord..."
Solar cells are not cheap. Wonder how much this will increase the insurance premium?
Wonder if the solar cells will be a magnet for thieves?
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