Backed by the Japanese government, the three companies are testing the Prious Hybrid with ultra-thin solar panels glued onto its roof, hood, spoiler, and rear window.
The first tests took place in July, and, following a long series of studies and experiments, the first practical results are here at last.
The solar panels feed the current they generate into the traction battery of the Toyota Prius PHV. In the days when the sun is at its brightest, the car can cover up to 56 kilometers (35 miles) per day on solar power alone. In the USA, the number drops to 47 km, or 29 miles. Cloudy or particularly hot days still affect the power gains significantly.
According to Satoshi Shizuki, Chief Engineer responsible for the project, the main goal is to reduce the cost of the tech. The way things stand now, such panels are only being used to power orbital satellites due to their high cost. Mass-producing solar panel-powered cars is not going to happen soon, but the potential is there, Mr. Shizuki claims.