Solar-powered EV fuel efficiency and cruising range assessment

Automotive

Automotive

Electronic products

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

Solar cells created using a thin-film technology that employs inexpensive materials such as zinc and iron instead of costly materials like iridium. IBM's process demonstrated conversion efficiency of 9.6% in 2010.

Combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and a battery that can be recharged from an external source.

An integrated system that charges the vehicle's driving battery using solar energy both while the car is parked and while it is being driven.

Aichi Prefecture

Tokyo

Public road trials of a solar-powered plug-in hybrid electric vehicle equipped with high-efficiency thin-film solar cells to assess improvements in fuel efficiency, cruising range, and carbon emissions reductions.

High-efficiency thin-film solar cells with approximately 34% conversion efficiency and 0.03 mm thickness, designed to conform to curved vehicle surfaces for integration into the Prius PHV.

Solar-powered plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

A solar-powered electric vehicle that was slated for public road trials.