This range will be the final nail in the coffin for internal combustion engine vehicles. It's greater than the range some of them offer.
A 1,000 km range for an electric car requires four essential elements: the lowest drag and weight, the most efficient powertrain, and a solar body. Elon Musk has promised a 1,000 km range for the upcoming Tesla Roadster, and the Lightyear One solar car will be in production with an 800 km range next year. Both will have a hefty price tag, but Lightyear intends to bring the market down. Hanergy demonstrated in 2016 that expanding the highest efficiency panels can provide 1-1.5 kW, enough to eliminate the need for a grid connection for light vehicle users. Tesla could use its falcon-wing door technology to deploy solar panels on a parked car that never hits anything.
The chief engineer of the Toyota Prius stated that he dreams of a solar-powered car and that Toyota is now beginning testing with exceptionally efficient photovoltaic systems, but, like the Lightyear One, there are no expandable panels at this stage. The Prius is simply a testbed. The research and development organization NEDO and the solar panel supplier Sharp are assisting, sharing the results. The project began in late July.
Solar cell modules will be integrated into the roof, hood, and tailgate of some Prius PHEVs to improve range and fuel efficiency.
The tests will be conducted in Japan, for example in Toyota City, Tokyo, but also in other regions. The two project partners hope to simulate different conditions. The data will aid in the development of a suitable solar charging system for automobiles.
Toyota reveals that the cells have a conversion efficiency of over 34%, delivering 860 watts. That's 4.8 times the output of the partial solar roof on the current Prius Prime. However, the standard consumption of the Prius PHEV is 7.2 kWh/100 km; the future lies in solar vehicles achieving much more than that.
Dr Peter Harrop, a leading industry expert and Chairman at IDTechEx
