Inspired by new ultra-thin solar panels developed for satellites, a project led ...
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Toyota is pictured at the Bangkok Auto Salon 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, July 4, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo
In the Japanese government-funded demonstration project, Toyota engineers fitted solar panels designed by Sharp Corp to the hood, roof, rear window and spoiler to see how much juice the sun can generate. On a good day, the charge can be sufficient for up to 56 kilometers of travel, more than the 47 kilometers driven a day by the average American, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The solar cells are super-slim - just 0.03 millimeters, making them malleable enough to form-fit to the body of a car. The engineers needed to create a buffer between the car and the cells to protect them, so the actual solar panel modules are closer to a centimeter thick.
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