Next Toyota Prius will be partially solar powered

By Steven Musil on 08 July 2008

Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of the next generation of its Prius hybrid car, according to a report in Monday's edition of the Nikkei newspaper.

This Mazda 929 featured a solar powered cooling fan for when it was parked

The panels, which are expected to begin appearing on the high-end version of the petrol-electric hybrid car as early as the next northern spring, will supply part of the 2 to 5 kilowatts needed to power the air conditioning, MarketWatch cited the Japanese business daily as reporting. Kyocera will reportedly supply the panels.

The move would make Toyota the first major automaker to incorporate a solar power generation system into a mass-produced car. Although those with long memories will remember previous attempts, such as the Jaguar-esque Mazda 929 which featured optional solar panels which powered an interior cooling fan when the car was left unattended.

Toyota's Prius was introduced in 1997 and has since sold more than 1 million units worldwide. The car was redesigned in 2003, and a third generation has been widely expected to appear soon.

Topics: toyota, prius, solar power, hybrid, solar, car, panel, 929, power

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Comments (2)

  • jeff commented on 10/07/2008 14:39 Report abuse

    the problem is most people cannot afford to spend $8000, that's 20%of most peoples yearly income. Sadly we just can't afford to care, $8000 later you might save $4 of you monthly electricity bill and most people feel like if i do and put myself through that huge cost, i'll save 1.5 tons, but will it make a diference? not really - because nobody else is prepared to spend that kind of money, so there's no point in me doing it. (That's not how i feel, but i bet it's what goes through a lot of people's mind)

  • canberra_photographer commented on 08/07/2008 17:13 Report abuse

    The Prius is an expensive and futile machine. You would get better milage from a diesel (75m/g vs Prius with 55). In terms of CO2 reductions, a $39 000 Prius saves 1.5 tonnes a year... you could save 3 tonnes a year with even an entry level $8000 photovoltaic system on your home.

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