Solar Panels in Cars Still Creeping Along

Back at the Detroit auto show, our own David Thomas was impressed by the Toyota A-Bat's conceptual use of solar panels in the dash. The idea, as Toyota explained it, was to eventually use the solar panels to power the radio, air conditioner and other panel electronics. Unfortunately, the A-Bat remains a concept. Fortunately, solar panels in cars are getting closer to becoming a reality.

Wyoming-based Brunton is planning to develop 3-foot by 4-foot panels designed to jumpstart a car when the battery is dead. The next step — which Brunton, presumably, is yet to begin designing — is the solar panel that powers front electronics, just like the A-Bat promised.

After that, who knows: Maybe someone will power an engine with nothing but solar energy. The sky’s the limit!

OK, maybe not. But the sun has to be good for something, right?

Solar Panels Coming Soon to an Auto Parts Store Near You (Jalopnik)

Comments

I don't know how often the average person has to jump start their car, but I can't imagine spending hundreds of dollars installing solar panels on my car and hoping the battery never dies at night.

Solar energy hitting the earth's surface is about 1000 Watts per square meter (or about 1/8 hp per square foot) - this is at noon on a clear day. Today's solar panels can turn between one fifth and one sixth of that energy into electrical energy. So that 3x4 foot array of cells can probably put out around 200 Watts max. Since many of us do most of our driving during rush hour when the sun is low in the sky we wouldn't even get that much out of it.

The best use for solar panels on a car is trickle charging the battery of a hybrid or battery electric car.

Solar cars were first built by universities and manufacturers. The sun energy collector areas proved to be too large for consumer cars, however that is changing. Development continues on solar cell design and car power supply requirements such as heater or air-conditioning fan