Try the Pro Membership (from NOK 29) and get access to the most comprehensive cases and a number of member benefits
(Al-Bail 24):
The dream that electric cars can produce themselves some of the electricity they use has been around for several years already. A modern car has an area of more than four square metres, and in theory it should be used to produce electricity from solar energy. So far, no one has succeeded in achieving this.
The Toyota Prius certainly has solar cells in the sunroof, but it doesn’t produce more electricity than is needed to power the cabin fan when the car is parked on a hot summer day.
20 electric cars were tested: – Just forgetting to fully charge them during a long trip
Not so long ago, Sono Motors, which was to build a car with 456 solar cells integrated into the body, went bankrupt. The solar cells should be able to charge the car up to 25 miles per week under ideal conditions.
Electricity storage
And now it may seem that we are one step closer. At the IAA major motor show in Munich next week, researchers from Germany’s famous Fraunhofer Institute will present a car hood that can generate electricity.
Bankruptcy went: Sono Motors was to build this car clad in 456 solar cells. It should provide a range of up to 25 miles a week under ideal sun conditions. Last year, the company went bankrupt before production could begin. Image: Sonos
Show more
The hood, which is currently being adapted to the Volkswagen Polo, is covered with a photochromic material and then covered with foil. A photovoltaic material produces electricity when exposed to sunlight, just as it does in a solar cell. The difference is that here it is not surrounded by glass and is therefore much lighter. Weight saving is important for an electric vehicle.
serial production
– We want to show that it’s practically possible to cover a car with some form of solar cell. The surface of the bonnet we have developed is so durable that the car can even be driven in the washing machine, says Martin Heinrich, Mobility Coordinator at the Fraunhofer Institute. car photo.
Driving an electric car is now much cheaper
According to Heinrich, the new technology is ready for serial production. It can also be used on the roof of the car and is designed to match the shape of each car model. The surface will be the same color as the car, and the photoelectric material will not be visible. He did not say anything about the amount of electricity such a “solar cell system” could produce. We’ll likely find out more about that when the technology is introduced next week.
In any case, you will probably still rely on charging the car from a regular socket if you drive a lot. Such a “solar cell system” would primarily be able to act as a range extender.
“Web specialist. Lifelong zombie maven. Coffee ninja. Hipster-friendly analyst.”
