In other words, it's easier and more affordable than ever for consumers to go buy a readily available electric or hybrid car, and these cars are more efficient, easier to charge, and have fewer compromises overall than EVs and hybrids of just a couple generations ago. The renewed interest in solar panels on cars is less about the panels themselves becoming better, and more about the fact that hybrid and electric cars, and their infrastructure, is better. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid features a Solar Roof System that recharges the car's hybrid battery and increases the car's driving range by a couple of miles a day. This, in turn, means it might be time to give solar cars another shot, though the new-generation solar cars on the horizon are more like hybrids that add solar power to the mix. On the upside, though, many automakers have shifted development resources toward making hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars more practical, efficient and affordable than ever. After that, investment in solar car technology more or less went dark, at least as a mainstream pursuit. None of these concept cars made it to production, which means they were never available to consumers. These helped engineers understand the potential - and the limitations - of collecting and storing solar energy, maximizing aerodynamics and identifying other challenges to running a car powered off the sun.Īs for major auto manufacturers' contributions to the field, Ford and Mazda, notably, both introduced solar hybrid concept cars in the mid-2000s, and Cadillac designed a concept car that used solar panels to help power accessories like interior lighting and audio that typically draw off a car's electrical system (which, in turn, contributes to fuel consumption). Several other organizations experimented with race cars designed to take advantage of solar power. The earliest solar cars were DIY jobs that date back to the 1970s and were mostly designed and assembled in car enthusiasts' garages. That flow generates the electricity that powers the battery or the specialized motor in solar cars. The sunlight's energy then frees electrons in the semiconductors, creating a flow of electrons. They're made up of semiconductors, usually made of silicon that absorb the light. PVCs are the components in solar paneling that convert the sun's energy to electricity. Solar cars can accomplish this through photovoltaic cells (PVC).

Solar panel drawing