Toyota testing hybrid Prius fitted with solar cells

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Toyota has announced plans to test concept vehicles based on the Prius plug-in hybrid with integrated solar panels together with the research and development organization NEDO and the battery manufacturer Sharp starting at the end of this month.

The solar cell modules will be installed on the roof, hood and tailgate of the Prius PHEV. The integrated solar panels are designed to improve the range and fuel efficiency of the compact model. The carmaker did not specify which exact values Toyota was hoping for here.

The test will take place in Japan, for example in Toyota City, Tokyo, but also in other regions. The two project partners hope to simulate different conditions. According to Toyota, the data collected includes the amount of electricity generated by the solar battery module and the amount of energy used to charge the traction battery. The information should help in the development of a solar charging system for vehicles.

The data will also be shared with the other two cooperation partners NEDO and with Sharp, the who is supplying the solar cells. According to the Toyota announcement, the cells have a conversion efficiency of over 34 percent. Over the entire area, the solar power system is to have a rated an output of 860 watts. Compared to the Prius plug-in hybrid currently on offer, which can optionally be ordered with a small solar power system, the output is 4.8 times greater.

Another new feature of the test vehicles is that they are to generate electricity not only when parking, but also while driving on the road. Toyota hopes that this will result in longer ranges in electric mode. However, the standard consumption of the Prius-PHEV is already 7.2 kWh/100 km – during the journey, the solar system can only contribute a small part of the current consumption, even in sunny weather.

global.toyota

4 Comments

about „Toyota testing hybrid Prius fitted with solar cells“
Msnoj
05.07.2019 um 13:55
Good initiative..this should works in India better as sun is altime there here comparatively
SMB
05.07.2019 um 15:17
Most of us can't quickly convert watts and Kilowatt hours into range. Please do the math for us. What is the current range of the plug-in Prius, and how much extra range might one get on a sunny drive down the freeway for x hours.
mike
13.10.2019 um 19:12
the idea is for parking all day at company and do just some miles of commuting. see sonomotors dot com
Robert
10.12.2019 um 01:16
Up to 25 kilometer per day.

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