Toyota to add solar panels to next-gen Prius

[ptmeyer84]

Won't weight be an issue? I'm sure that the extra energy required to haul around solar panels will negate any solar energy gained when parked.

[Murrow]

The last generation Mazda 929 had a solar panel it used to circulate air while the car was parked, so the interior didn't get as hot as it otherwise would.

[American_Muscle]

Originally Posted by 1931Chevy

I have been thinking about this for a while , why dont GM design a solar panel for the Volt so lets say when you are at work and for the people that let their cars outside in the sun for 6 to 8 hours this could help recharge the batteries maybe not a 100% recharge but half would be damn good since that way save half of what you would had spended plug in the car

I've wondered the same thing for the longest time..sometimes i wonder if those higher up at GM aren't missing a little piece of their brain that causes them to over-look the obvious little things to make their cars better then japan

[edsuski]

ph39 is correct. Solar cells on cars result in far too little energy to be seriously considered for charging car batteries. One electric car manufacturer is planning on using solar to circulate air in the car to help cool it while parked. We are talking enough power to turn a small fan. Not charge batteries.

Of course, solar is the eventual end game for all electricity, but the efficiency is far to low today. On the other hand - we are spending 3.3 Trillion dollars on a war that is largely financed (the other side) by oil profits. A 3.3 Trillion dollar investment, even in "low efficiency" solar, might go a long way to eliminating our dependency on foreign oil while helping to eliminate the opponents chief financing.

[johnstarnes]

Originally Posted by ptmeyer84

Won't weight be an issue? I'm sure that the extra energy required to haul around solar panels will negate any solar energy gained when parked.

Solar cells have become very lightweight and MUCH more efficient.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by afireinside7710

wouldnt the solar panels just heat the car up even more?

No it would cool it - the "heat" that would normally go to the car or be reflected is transformed into electricity

Considering how many Prius owners live in places like California it sounds like a good idea. Sure it might only cover the power consumption of the radio and the occasional up/down window but that is energy not needed to burn gas for...

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Z16monte

When I park it out inthe sun to take advantage of all the free energy instead of in a parking garage or under a tree to take advantage of the shade, so the interior of my car doesn't approach the temprearature of the sun after working 8 hrs
Ed

+ Window tint, works wonders!

Also as, as Smaart Aas Saabr said, the power from the cells could be used to cool the cabin, as Buick had planned and Mazda seemed to do once. Most people can't park in the shade most of the time. There is nowhere for me to park in the shade at work, or at home, since my parents have the garage and even when they don't, my truck barely fits in the garage. Hey, what about solar cell covered hard tonneau covers for trucks.

Even if the power in minimal, it's free power. The electrics and solar panels themselves

[YupYupYup]

I knew it! I knew it!!!

A year and a half ago I SAW a old-generation Prius with solar panels on the roof. It was in a smaller city in Canada in the middle of winter. I took pics with my cell phone but never uploaded them here. I identified the owner by a college sticker in the window...It was being used as a class test vehicle by the professor!!! I had a feeling we would see it from Toyota soon, since Toyota has a plant and research facilties in the same province. They donated the car and money to the school, as many manufacturers do.

BTW, Toyota is scrambling to stunt the upcoming popularity of the Volt. They know they need more out of their Prius since the Volt will beat them in MPG and new tech. You will probably see more add-ons like this in the near future.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377061,00.html Another link.

I knew it!

[DoomsDave]

Originally Posted by ph39

Sounds neat - but in reality a solar panel will probably not add enough power to pay for the added weight for it and the electronics.

A 40 watt panel (about 2 feet by 2 feet) in the direct sun for 5 hours will give about the same charge as plugging in the charger (assuming a 1500 watt charger) for about 8 MINUTES - which is probably good for a couple hundred feet. Even if you extended the size to cover the whole roof, trunk, and hood, and if it added nothing in weight - you probably wouldn't get more than a mile in charge for a whole day of sitting in the sun.

Great post, ph39. Everyone, please read this again. This is what you can expect from attaching a solar panel to your car.

I remember reading that it would take about a MONTH of charging to fully charge an electric car using small solar panels on the roof. Those of you thinking that you could get a 50% (or 25% or even 5%) charge from 8 hours with something like this need to actually do the math. It won't even be close.

It's a gimmick at best, but one that would probably pay off well for Toyota. There are obviously plenty of people out there that believe you can power a car with a small panel glued to the roof. Reality shows otherwise, but it would be a great marketing angle.

[DoomsDave]

Originally Posted by Murrow

The last generation Mazda 929 had a solar panel it used to circulate air while the car was parked, so the interior didn't get as hot as it otherwise would.

I remember that too. Frankly, it's a great idea for hot weather climates, especially here in Texas in the the summer.

But that's about all you could expect from a system like this: Powering a small fan to circulate air around the interior. At this point in time, it would generate no where near enough power for much else.

[logansowner]

Originally Posted by ph39

Sounds neat - but in reality a solar panel will probably not add enough power to pay for the added weight for it and the electronics.

A 40 watt panel (about 2 feet by 2 feet) in the direct sun for 5 hours will give about the same charge as plugging in the charger (assuming a 1500 watt charger) for about 8 MINUTES - which is probably good for a couple hundred feet. Even if you extended the size to cover the whole roof, trunk, and hood, and if it added nothing in weight - you probably wouldn't get more than a mile in charge for a whole day of sitting in the sun.

Nobody read the article, did they?

Originally Posted by FOX

The solar panels on the roof of the new Prius model will provide 2 to 5 kilowatts of electricity, the major Japanese business daily said in a report without citing sources.

You can already buy really good solar cells that are much more efficient, but people still keep the image of the POS cells they sell at WalMart as battery tenders.

[vxl]

They should import from China the Chevrolet Sail ...... (guess what you could use to propel this .....)

[wescoent]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

A good idea for sure, but Im not sure of cost benifits, or any electrical benifits that would help recharge the car. This would be good to help keep a fresh charge on batteries while it was parked, or in the case of the Volt, help charge up the batteries in a parking lot if there is no plug in feature. I dont know how much it could recharge, dont know how strong the solar pannels are in relation to charging from an electrical connection. Im sure you couldnt get a 100% charge, but if lets say you drove 30 miles in your Volt, parking it downtown in the Village in NYC, there is no where to plug it in, could the solar pannels charge it up after 3-4 hrs enough to get you home, instead of running 10 miles and then turn on the ICE?

Driving... into Manhattan??? What crack are you smoking?

In all seriousness... I think that if these E-Flex vehicles take off, Mayor Bloomberg in all his wisdom will probably institute some kind of metered plugs for parking spots. Park your Volt, plug it in, feed some coin into the meter to pay for parking WHILE powering your Volt.

Parking garages can do the same, as well as most office lots.

Even better... how about we have special reserved spots up front for E-Flex vehicles only, right behind the handicapped spots?

[YupYupYup]

Originally Posted by wescoent

Driving... into Manhattan??? What crack are you smoking?

In all seriousness... I think that if these E-Flex vehicles take off, Mayor Bloomberg in all his wisdom will probably institute some kind of metered plugs for parking spots. Park your Volt, plug it in, feed some coin into the meter to pay for parking WHILE powering your Volt.

Parking garages can do the same, as well as most office lots.

Even better... how about we have special reserved spots up front for E-Flex vehicles only, right behind the handicapped spots?

Good business plan. Extra revenue at parking garages...Marketing vehicle (marketing speak for certain channel/ strategy). Start buying parking lots.

[Sal Collaziano]

Originally Posted by logansowner

Nobody read the article, did they?



You can already buy really good solar cells that are much more efficient, but people still keep the image of the POS cells they sell at WalMart as battery tenders.

No. Apparently some people did not read the article. The solar power is not intended to power the engine. It's simply being used to power accessories.. For example, if they can get it to power the air conditioning, than that's just one less thing the battery needs to power. This is really a no brainer and an excellent idea.

Or maybe everyone should just forget about experimenting with things like this so we can continue to go nowhere. Of course, if it were GM doing this on the Volt, everyone would be writing letters with cash stuffed in the envelope to Lutz.