Toyota to add solar panels to Prius hybrid: Nikkei

Healthy skepticism aside, I suspect this is only the first small step in Toyota's long-term strategy of using renewable energy to power electric engines. We're obviously still a long way from that, but then again it wasn't that long ago that one couldn't write a computer program for the PC that exceeded 64KB due to memory limitation (remember the real floppy disks?)

 

The current car could generate about 100 W if the roof were completely covered with efficient cells that are currently available. There -are- more efficient cells, but you don't want to know how much they cost. Currently available cells for this application would cost perhaps $200 in high volume for 100W worth.

This could power an effective ventilation fan and could keep batteries charged.

It couldn't fully charge a dead traction battery in one day. It would take at least two days to charge the current traction battery with 100W (and you'd need a special inverter/charger module as the cells would produce low voltage - 12 to 48V is common for panels).
It also couldn't run an air conditioner at any capacity close to the heat gain of the car - in other words it couldn't keep the car cool.
To also answer another wish question, it couldn't keep the engine warm (EBH). The current EBH is a 400 W unit, and it is barely enough to give a noticeable gain in heat. Most EBHs used around here are 1 kW or more.

What it will do practically is keep batteries fully charged and run a cabin ventilation fan. It will also look very cool, probably the biggest "gain". Sorry to say, a marketing gimmick, but still neat.

I'd pay "up to" $600 extra for that option. Just for the cool factor.

 

"becoming the first major automaker to use solar power for a vehicle"

I guess Mercedes isn't a major automaker?

I had solar panels on an E55 5 years ago that charged a battery that powered an interior venting system, that activated when the cabin temp reached a certain threshold, so you would come back to a sweltering car. Worked pretty well.

 

The article does mention "high end", so the solar panels will probably be bundled in some deluxe package. I'd think twice if the bundle included "premium JBL stereo"...

 

HV pack has 1,310 Watt Hours but only about 500 Wh usable energy due to 40% to 80% SOC window.

100W panel should be able to charge all 8 bars on MFD in 5 hours.

 

Can probably forget about an OEM sunroof, as well...

 

Actually, that's about the only kind of sunroof you could have.

 

That's one of the things I initially thought about when I read that. I'm wondering if Toyota will have to build into the price the potential for additional warranty claims for the climate control fan (or other components). I was driving home last night from the store and it was "still" 106 degrees here in AZ.... so for us it would be running during the daylight hours throughout much of the year.

 

Another thing to consider is that a "100 watt" solar panel only produces 100 watts at about noon with the panel perpendicular to the sun. At about 70 degrees temperature. Power production goes down with heat, and the panels are never going to be at the optimum direction to the sun. So maybe 70 watts at noon, and 25 watts at 4 PM.

 

I just emailed my local dealer about putting a deposit down on a 2010. Then I saw the this thread. Not sure if I want the solar panel. Depends on how rugged it is. But I like the idea of pushing green further.

 

What would be really cool is if you could use the panels to recharge/top off the little battery in the event of total wear down.

 

I'm a visionary! (Too bad no one at Toyota knows it. <G>) I've proposed this idea since I bought Totoro 2 years ago -- I could *easily* get enough charge in the summer time, parking out in the hot sun in the parking lot at work to commute the 12 miles back home if I had panels on the roof. I would totally pay for that option!

 

If the article turns out to be correct I'll be a little bit disappointed. I would really like the energy to go into the primary propulsion battery. I know it's a tiny amount, but it would still feel more green than just spinning a fan. I have the AC on all the time when it gets hot here and a cabin ventilation fan will not cause me to turn off my AC, so I see little practical gain. But yes, I will likely purchase the option anyway on my 2010/2011 plug-in Prius even if running a cabin ventilation fan is all it does. The coolness factor alone should be worth the cost. I hope aftermarket tinkerers will find a way to get it to trickle charge the main battery. We shall see. Still excited to hear it though!

 

No, you couldn't.

Unless the 12 miles is all downhill.

 

This has been discussed before. A car is about the worst place you can put a solar panel. Its not angled right, its not always in the sun and finally there are times where there is energy and no where to put it (battery full).

Put the same panel on a fixed sunny spot and feed the grid, it will do far more good there.

 

Photovoltaic panels are not limited to the roof, hood or hatchback. Glass can also double as PV panels (and you can still see through the glass). Anything that increases efficiency is cost effective, especially if we adopt a "sustainability" mindset, such as keeping the vehicle for at least 10 years.

 

...and that peak performance would be for the first six months, after which the performance of the solar cells would start degrading gradually pretty fast.

I'm no expert on solar cells, but I do recall that the cheaper flexible solar panels see their performance degrade pretty fast, unlike "house roof solar cells" (with a 25-20 year useful life) which are made of rigid film and hold a higher performance level for much longer than flexible film.

 

I am learning to do Pulse and Glide, but which seems tough in Texas in the summer, with temp pushing 100 degrees. Because coasting does not charge the HV battery, but the AC still runs from HV battery. So my experience is that after doing 2 or 3 long glides in a few minutes, I might see 60MPG, but the HV battery drops to 4 bars, and then gliding can no longer be enabled.

So the solar cells for the AC seems a good thing in the summer heat.

 

What makes you think they are going to be flexible panels? The article states (although Toyota has not yet confirmed) that the manufacturer of the panels is Kyocera Corp. Checking their website, I'm not seeing anything about flexible panels.

In fact, Kyocera Corp has set a "new world record of 18.5 percent efficiency" in their newest and thinnest solar cells. The article states further that "The company plans to have cells of this design in mass production by March 2010." Interesting timing. It seems Toyota has partnered with the current solar technology leader: Kyocera | Solar Energy Products | News | Press Releases.

 

i do not know if i could like a car with a solar panel, well it maybe depends on what it looks like and how long will it last...