Many have tried, but no one has quite perfected the solar car.
The average vehicle spends most – or all – of its time outside, either in use or parked, and with more than 6 million electric vehicles now present on American roads, many auto companies have been captivated by the prospect of capturing the energy of the sun to provide a boost in range.
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One of those is Nissan, which recently unveiled a concept that pairs its all-electric Ariya model with solar panels. Nissan says the project hopes to target the ambitious question that many have posed over the years: What if electric vehicles could charge themselves?
Unveiled in time for Clean Energy Day in January, the concept features an array of flat photovoltaic panels on the Ariya’s hood, liftgate and roof – visible to the eye, but not adding bulk.
According to Nissan, the panels cover more than 40 square feet combined and can convert the sun’s energy into electricity that is fed back into the Ariya’s battery pack.
The automaker claims its real world testing shows the panels are capable of adding more than 14 miles of range to the vehicle on a sunny day. While that may sound inconsequential, consider the average American vehicle is driven just 37 miles per day.
Nissan says this could amount to reducing charging frequency for drivers by up to 65% – a significant win for consumers, who still cite a lack of charging infrastructure as the top concern when it comes to EV adoption.
Whether this vehicle ever finds its way to production, however, is still a big question. Solar cars have faltered in the past over issues of cost, weight and durability – and it's unclear whether Nissan has addressed them with its latest concept.
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