Solar roof

They could have. They could also have used the roof to charge the battery. But with any development project, technical feasibility is not the only factor. Development resources are finite. Toyota concluded that their resources could be more effectively utilized elsewhere.

Tom

 

In the 'build your own' 2012 Prius, it seems like the NAV system is tied to the solar roof. Is there a configuration available that separates the two? I DEFINITELY do not want to give up 1.5" of headroom.

 

Gotta have the solar charging roof like the Tesla model s...that is a sweet roof.

 

I think this may have been through a game of telephone - I'm pretty sure it caused *radio frequency interference*, not *interference with the radio*. The FCC very strictly limits interference in the whole radio spectrum, so that when you turn on your car (or enable the solar roof), your cell phone, TV, computer, radio, pacemaker, etc. all still work. Devices are allowed to emit a certain small amount of energy on any particular part of the spectrum. My guess is they might've had problems with the DC/DC boost converter that they'd need to get whatever voltage the 12V produces up to the 200+ volts needed to charge the battery. But who knows.

It might also be a cop-out excuse instead of saying they were concerned about reduced battery life (by frequently fully charging the battery) or about poor performance (it would take something like 10 solid hours of overhead noon sun to fully charge the battery, or about 5 hours to charge it to full from the typical operating point - and I don't know about your area, but in my area, the sun moves around and doesn't stay directly overhead all day).

 

It appears you are correct about the interference, though the car's own radio antenna is right next to the panel, so the car might be the most affected. It's explained in this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...5-scientific-american-article-2010-prius.html

But this begs the question of why solar panels mounted on rooftops, etc. don't create similar interference, or why it couldn't be avoided in the Prius. Fixed location panels also need to boost their output voltage nearly as high if used in a grid-tie application.

In addition, the batteries (12V and HV) are usually near full charge after driving (at least for me; I don't normally end my drive with a low SOC on the HV battery), so there may not be that much capacity to store the power into. I do still like the idea of keeping the 12V battery topped up if the car is left parked for an extended time.

 

John, When it works it is great. Mine failed after 37 months and it is a $2000 replacement repair. Toyota says... tough luck..past the warranty.

Luke

 

Pass on it. The parts and labor add up to $2000 at the dealer.

 

I bought a 2010 Prius 3. I love this car. I have had no mechanical problems except one that made itself known just past the 36 month warranty period. I noticed that my solar driven cooling fan wasn't working this summer. I thought the fan had maybe died but then I looked at the solar panel and saw that green copper corrosion caused by long term moisture infiltration had shorted out the solar panel and it was unable to produce electricity anymore. I had the Dealer look at the panel and by looking at the panel from a ladder he ascertained that the moisture infiltration had reached all the way across the panel to the rear as evidenced by the green corrosion of the wiring in the panel. Now this just didn't happen overnight, but most likely, moisture had been infiltrating the panel for several years. There was no moisture visible in the pane, just the evidence of long term corrosion throughout the panel. What I am saying is this. These panels were manufactured by an outside vendor for Toyota. If made properly, a solar panel should be hermetically sealed. Most solar panels normally have a useful life of 15 years. This panel was defective the day it was made and it just took 3 years for the corrosion to infiltrate deep enough to disable enough of the solar cells to render it inoperative. The reason I tell you this is the solar option is an expensive option.($2000 replacement cost) If you are still in your warranty period I would suggest having the panel inspected for corrosion before you experience a failure. Once you know what to look for you can examine it yourself. Much like a hermetically sealed double pane house window there will be some clouding of the glass panel where the moisture has infiltrated. In my case the infiltration appears to have been going on for years before total failure. Since it is tinted and part of the roof design you won't notice the subtle changes in the color unless you inspect the panel closely. In conclusion, these panels should be waterproof and sealed during manufacture. If any moisture infiltrates by means other than from damage it is a design and/or manufacturing error.

 

Can this be seen via a photo?