Toyota is reportedly secretly developing a mass-market, solar-powered car. The car will hold solar cells in its roof that initially will supply enough energy to power its accessories. The solar car is part of efforts by Japan's top automaker to grow during hard times, however, a fully solar-powered car is thought to be years away.
Last July there were speculations that Toyota would offer a rooftop solar panel as an option on the next generation Prius. A Prius solar panel will likely be limited to running auxiliary systems such as stereo equipment, air conditioning and other relatively low-power features, rather than actual vehicle propulsion..
Toyota has already begun using solar panels at its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan to produce some of its own electricity. According to Toyota, the solar panels on the roofs add up in size to the equivalent of 60 tennis courts and produce enough electricity to power 500 homes. This process reduces 740 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a year and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil
Toyota is also likely to indirectly gain expertise in solar energy when its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic Corp., takes over Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co., a leader in solar energy, early next year.
[source: AP]
Last July there were speculations that Toyota would offer a rooftop solar panel as an option on the next generation Prius. A Prius solar panel will likely be limited to running auxiliary systems such as stereo equipment, air conditioning and other relatively low-power features, rather than actual vehicle propulsion..
Toyota has already begun using solar panels at its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan to produce some of its own electricity. According to Toyota, the solar panels on the roofs add up in size to the equivalent of 60 tennis courts and produce enough electricity to power 500 homes. This process reduces 740 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a year and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil
Toyota is also likely to indirectly gain expertise in solar energy when its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic Corp., takes over Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co., a leader in solar energy, early next year.
[source: AP]