The Toyota Prius with solar panels, the next step in electric mobility?

Electric mobility is one of the great challenges the automotive industry is facing in recent months. We know there is a firm commitment to make this type of mobility a reality on our streets and roads over the next decade. But the characteristics of this kind of zero-emission mobility can vary depending on the charging technology used. One that has just emerged is solar energy, which can be harnessed thanks to solar panels installed on the roofs of cars.

Panasonic has begun production of solar panels that can be installed on the roof of cars, and which have already been tested on some units of the Toyota Prius PHEV. This has become the first production electric vehicle powered by these solar panels.

Admittedly, it is not a very practical method, since the battery’s charging capacity through the solar panels varies greatly depending on sunlight conditions. There are many variables to consider: clouds, parking the car in the shade, and the inevitable dirt, which can prevent charging through this device from being as efficient as we would hope. To develop them, Panasonic had to take all of this into account, plus other uncontrollable factors such as the vibration of the car or the curved lines that shape the vehicle’s body.

All of this affects the charging capacity, which in the case of this Prius can provide enough charge to drive fully electric for 3 to 6 kilometres, approximately, depending on sunlight conditions. This could represent 10% of the car’s annual electric driving, simply by leaving the Prius in the sun, at no cost whatsoever.

Although it is a technology that still needs considerable work, far more than other more traditional charging systems, since April alone 1,350 units of this variant of the Toyota Prius PHEV have been sold, a figure that could augur well for the future of these versions with the possibility of recharging from the sun. A method that could be a very attractive option but which, personally, I don’t think has a very long run. At least, until the technology improves. What do you think?