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Prius Plug-In Adds Solar Roof Panel
Toyota Motor Corp.’s redesigned Prius PHV plug-in hybrid sedan includes a solar roof panel that can boost the car’s fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.
Energy generated from the panel’s photovoltaic cells is used to recharge the car’s 8.8-kWh battery pack when the car is parked.
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Toyota Motor Corp.’s redesigned Prius PHV plug-in hybrid sedan includes a solar roof panel that can boost the car’s fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.
Energy generated from the panel’s photovoltaic cells is used to recharge the car’s 8.8-kWh battery pack when the car is parked. The solar panel also can be used to help power the air conditioning system, lights, power windows and other accessories when the car is running, according to the carmaker.
Toyota will offer the feature on the Prius PHV when it bows in Asia and Europe this summer. The technology also is expected to be offered in other Toyota hybrids in the future.
The solar panel initially won’t be available in Australia and the U.S., where the car is known as the Prius Prime, because it is installed on reinforced glass sheeting that doesn’t meet rollover crash regulations. But Toyota is working on a laminated glass system to meet the regulations and hopes to introduce it later in the vehicle’s lifecycle in these markets, Koji Toyoshima, chief engineer of the Prius, tells Automotive News.
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