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Toyota to sell solar panel-equipped Prius next year
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by stvalentine | July 8, 2008 at 05:12 am
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The Nikkei, Japan’s biggest business newspaper, reports today [JP] Toyota will use solar panels in its next-generation Prius hybrid cars to be sold starting 2009. The company’s Japanese website doesn’t offer any official information so the news is yet to be confirmed.
The redesigned Prius will come equipped with solar panels on the roof, partly powering the air-conditioning system, which needs up to 5kw. According to the Nikkei, Toyota will procure the PV panels from Kyocera.
Toyota is the world’s first major automaker to install solar batteries on vehicles. It is not yet clear whether the solar Prius will be sold outside Japan as well.
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stvalentine
California, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 07:10 on July 8th, 2008
stvalentine, I like this story. It's good solar news
hovever the solar panels rooftop toyota prius maximum produce 500 watt. If you park your car 6 hours in the sun, it would recharge 3 kWh, means 3h airconditon for free.
at 13:12 on July 8th, 2008
stvalentine, I like this story. It's good stuff.
newscientist.com report on this, that "It's more of a symbolic gesture," said [a source with knowledge of Toyota's plans], who asked not to be identified. "It's very difficult to power much more than that with solar energy."