Toyota May Be Working On Solar-Powered Car

Nikkei reports that Toyota has been working on the development of a solar-powered vehicle. The electric design relies on solar panels mounted on the vehicle's exterior. Initial reports say that the panels cannot currently provide enough photovoltaic energy to run the vehicle, but the company's goal for the concept is to power it completely using sunlight.

Using solar energy to power a vehicle isn't a new idea, but the solar vehicles that have been produced to date are highly experimental and may never see mass production. Toyota has also been working on a variety of alternative vehicle technologies, including plug-in electric vehicles, and lithium-ion and zinc-air batteries.

Several electric and hybrid electric concept vehicles have incorporated solar collectors into vehicles' exterior designs, mainly as a way to capture additional energy to power accessories. A mid-2008 report suggested that Toyota would offer a solar panel option on the newly redesigned Prius, but the efficiency of solar panels would have to improve remarkably to provide enough energy to power a vehicle entirely with solar power.

Solar Electric Vehicles, a Westlake Village, CA refitter, has developed solar add-on kits for the Prius, the Toyota Highlander, The Rav4 EV and the Ford Escape Hybrid. The roof-mounted kits can generate up to 215 watts of power from its 3kW battery pack, which can provide as much as 20 miles of all-electric driving between recharges. The solar conversion kits qualify for a federal renewable energy tax credit, and the company says that purchasers can break even in 2-3 years on the conversion.

Photo Credit: Agata Urbaniak