Startups and big automakers are beginning to add solar panels to their electric vehicles, an addition that increases the cars’ range, though perpetuum mobile remains a dream.
Rolling under the blazing sun of northern Spain, the Lightyear 0 generates enough electricity every day to drive 70 kilometers thanks to the five square meter solar panels integrated into the bonnet and roof.
The company was founded by young Dutch engineers who earned their spurs operating solar cars in races across the Australian desert.
Thanks to the drop in the price of solar panels, Lightyear is trying to put them in road vehicles.
With its sleek, aerodynamic line and motors integrated into the wheels, the Lightyear 0 consumes less energy than electric SUVs.
Coupled with a battery that offers 625 kilometers per charge, the company says some customers who only drive short distances each day may only need to charge in winter.
“The clock is ticking, we need to have sustainable cars as soon as possible,” one of the founders, Lex Hoefsloot, told AFP.
“Charging points are still a big hurdle. If we don’t need them, we can scale electric cars much faster,” he added.
Lightyear aimed the 0 at the top end of the market, with the roughly 1,000 cars produced costing buyers €250,000, the equivalent of a Bentley.
The company hopes to launch a mass-market model in 2024-2025 priced at €30,000 ($31,500).
– go mainstream –
With electric vehicle sales soaring, a number of models with solar panels are expected to hit dealerships in the coming months.
Toyota is now proposing solar panels as an option for Prius hybrids, as well as its first 100 percent electric vehicle, the BZ4X.
Tesla also plans to offer solar panels as an option for its pickup truck, which should hit the road next year.
Mercedes has equipped its luxurious EQXX with solar panels in the roof. The sedan, sleek like the Lightyear, has a range of 1,000 kilometers.
The cost of attaching solar panels to cars has now dropped to several hundred dollars, a small amount compared to the overall cost of most models.
“Solar energy is now so inexpensive that it’s worth using solar arrays even in less-than-sunny locations,” said Gregory Nemet, a solar energy expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“The value of installing solar power on cars is that it can increase the range of the car,” he said.
While it may not be able to fully charge the battery in a day, “it can provide enough energy to get you home”.
Or solar panels can help provide enough electricity to run the air conditioning in the vehicles, noted Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli, an electric mobility specialist at Delft University in the Netherlands.
– parking problems –
Drivers will likely want to leave the air conditioning on as they will need to park in the sun to get a good charge.
That could pose problems for some city drivers with parking spaces in garages.
The time of year is also an important factor. Motorists in Northern Europe are charged significantly less in winter than in summer by integrated solar panels.
The Californian start-up Aptera with 25,000 orders has designed its futuristic tricycle to be highly efficient in order to get the most out of solar power.
The two-seater vehicles, which are to be delivered to buyers starting this year, could drive more than 60 kilometers with their solar panels.
Depending on the model, which costs between 26,000 and 46,000 US dollars, the cars can travel between 400 and 1,600 kilometers with a fully charged battery.
German company Sono Motors has taken a more classic approach with their compact minivan Sion.
The Sion is a boxy, black five-seater that screams family car. It is completely covered with solar panels.
“We developed a technique that makes it possible to cover the entire car with solar panels,” said Jona Christians, co-founder of Sono Motors.
The first Sions are scheduled for delivery next year and the current pre-order price is 28,500 euros.
The company already has 18,000 such pre-orders and hopes to produce over a quarter of a million vehicles this decade.
The Sion is also designed to offer various functions of its battery, including powering other devices and charging other vehicles. It can even return power to the grid.
Dutch company Squad Mobility is targeting a different market – what it calls sub(urban) mobility.
The Squad Solar City Car may resemble an enclosed golf cart, but the two- or four-seater vehicles can get around fast enough and have enough space to comfortably run many city errands.
With the solar panels on the roof, the car can generate enough electricity to drive 20 kilometers a day in Europe.
The company says such microcars average around 12 kilometers a day, meaning most users won’t need to charge them every day.
“Solar modules are becoming more affordable, drives are getting better,” said Squad Mobility boss Robert Hoevers.
“Sooner or later you’ll be driving with solar every day.”
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