Toyota: Examining the Solar-Car Rumors

By Michael Kanellos

Reports are circulating today that Toyota (TM) is secretly working on a completely solar powered car, citing the Nikkei. Here’s the take from the Associated Press.

According to The Nikkei, Toyota is working on an electric vehicle that will get some of its power from solar cells equipped on the vehicle, and that can be recharged with electricity generated from solar panels on the roofs of homes. The automaker later hopes to develop a model totally powered by solar cells on the vehicle, the newspaper said without citing sources.

Something may be getting lost in the translation. I can see the first part being true. Toyota could put solar panels on the roof of the car to power some internal electronics. Fisker is doing that with the Karma and General Motors (GM) has put solar panels on the roof of some incredibly ugly concept cars, so it’s technically feasible.

The solar panels could even provide some power to a lithium ion battery pack. A full recharge would take several hours but you could imagine solar panels on the roof of a plug-in a sunny parking lot getting some juice like this. (That brings up the problem of early battery degradation from too many charges, but let’s save that for another time.)

I could even see a car that could be partly charged by stationary solar panels (a recharge would take time, but technically it’s a piece of cake). But to completely power a car with solar panels that it carries around on its own would take one massive solar array to charge in a reasonable (seven hours) amount of time. The Tesla Roadster has a battery that needs to provide 200 kilowatts of power and/or store 50 kilowatts of power, for example. A solar array to feed a battery of that size adequately would be bigger than most of those found on homes.

Concentrators – which could reduce the square footage of solar cells needed – would be tough to apply here too. They need a direct angle of sunlight so you’d have to rotate the solar cells on the car roof. Thin film? Low efficiency.

Plus, there are the power requirements for acceleration and freeway speeds. That’s why today’s solar-powered cars are golf carts used in retirement communities. They top out at 15 miles per hour or so. It would be a lot easier to charge the car from stationary solar panels built into a garage or a building.

Another suspicious bit: I haven’t been able to find a translation of the Nikkei article yet. So expect updates.

Technically speaking, however, all Toyotal vehicles are solar powered. The energy from petroleum comes from decayed plant and animal matter, which originally got their energy from the fiery orb in the sky.

Comments

[rexcarrs:]

perhaps this talk is being driven by items such as this. www.solarelectricalveh...

Jan 02 02:07 PM

[Duude:]

Likely someone got his info from some Toyota guy who tossed back a few too many Sake at a News Year's party.

Jan 02 03:18 PM

[fcountry:]

This is only the second time that I have seen Seeking Alpha TRULY being unbiased...and actually reporting FACTS about the automotive industry...what I have seen.. was perceived as "Auto Industry Bashing".
All of the car manufacturers are TRYING to gey "up to speed" in being "green (batteries..high MPG...etc.) they ALL are TRYING.

Maybe its time to look at all the GOOD that the AMERICAN Automotive Industry is trying to accomplish. They are TRYING..give 'em a break....this is NOT an easy (cheap) challenge.

This is just from a retirees perspective. Don't knock 'em unless you've been in our shoes.

Jan 02 03:52 PM

[car_guy:]

It is ridiculous how the media has just taken this report at face value. The author only scratches the surface on how far off a true solar car is from reality. Here is a link to the site of the Nuon Solar Team that won the 2008 World Solar Car Challenge. www.nuonsolarteam.nl/n...

This is what a real solar car looks like. Notice the lack of headlights or brake lights. I am also fairly certain it doesn't meet safety standards and I know I am not going to fit any groceries in there let alone a set of golf clubs.

Just shows how little the American public and media know and understand about the cars they drive.

Jan 02 04:48 PM

[User64738:]

With 16% solar cell efficiency, they won't get very far. Maybe if they invent a battery that can store more, otherwise solar is pretty much doomed.

Jan 02 10:42 PM

[DrDetroit.:]

This story has been debunked.
blogs.edmunds.com/gree...
www.thetruthaboutcars..../

Jan 03 08:14 AM

[John D:]

A little hard to get power from a solar cell with all of the black clouds following the auto industry lately.

Jan 03 08:59 AM

[hoover:]

Technical problems are only one obstacle to developing solar and other alternate energy cars. The other problem, and possibly the biggest, is overcoming the media and political obstacles. The oil and energy industries worldwide do not want alternate energy for ANYTHING for obvious self preservation reasons. So, GM's decision to further develop the Volt electric plug-in hybrid (after dumping the whole idea several years ago) is smart. It divides the energy industry against itself, because the electric utility industry will sell more power while the oil industry will sell less. Divide and conquer is the only way progress will be made on alternate energy. The result may be that GM actually proceeds to build the cars. Once electric cars overcome the negative feed of information from oil sources (assuming they do overcome it) it could open the way toward eventual partially powered solar electric cars.

Jan 03 09:04 AM

[Dr.Jackpot:]

Here's the deal-----

They realize the public majority don't understand 'Jack' about electricity and the laws of physics. So it's an easy way to promote some PR.

Jan 03 09:28 AM

[Paul Killinger:]

That is assuming oil and gas are fossil fuels, which no one has proven.

Jan 03 10:08 AM

[Paul Killinger:]

As for solar powered cars, that's something for our great grandchildren to consider.

Jan 03 10:10 AM

[Paul Killinger:]

If everyone drove a Nissan Versa or some such fueled by natural gas and commercial vehicles converted to LNG (which they are), our energy transportation crisis would be over.

Future electricity production vis a vis (the myth of?) global warming is a different question. The only person who has linked the two problems in a positive manner is Boone Pickens.

Jan 03 10:27 AM

[bonderman:]

Solar powered cars might be quite practical...provided you know how to park the 40-foot trailer with the solar cell panels and battery pack you'll be towing.

In round numbers, after atmospheric and system losses take their toll, there might be 100-200 watts per square meter of panel available for powering the vehicle.

Jan 03 11:43 AM

[Jonathan Ch...:]

You all need to keep things in perspective, and think of appropriate markets.
Remember the "micro- loans" being made in the Third World? A couple of hundred dollars buys the needed tool and a person gains financial independence.

Think of a solar powered car the same way. A light and slow vehicle, able to go perhaps 100 miles per week, on solar power might be exactly what a rural person in Africa or Asia nees to make their life a little easier.

I'm no expert, but sometimes a little "possabilities thinking" is OK to do.

Jan 03 02:06 PM

[adt:]

Does Toyota not use a Ni-MH battery in its Hybrids?

Jan 03 11:57 PM

[Paul Killinger:]

Jonathan,

How do you think such a light solar powered vehicle as you describe would fare where there are no roads?

Jan 04 11:48 AM

[Paul Killinger:]

adt,

Toyota's hybrids and planned electrics use nickel based battteries, as do Ford's.

Jan 04 11:50 AM