Toyota creates car powered by solar panels

The company is currently finishing laboratory testing. By the end of the month, the automobile will be tested on a proper racetrack. 

The Prius PHV automobile was created by automotive industry giant Toyota together with Sharp Corporation and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in Japan. Sharp Corporation is working on creating solar batteries that will cover the surface of the car, and NEDO is responsible for the batteries. 

This new concept of an electric car powered by solar batteries on its roof might permanently change Toyota’s approach towards electric cars and the industry in general, enabling vehicles to generate energy and increasing their range of movement.

Unlike other models, the panels developed by Sharp for Toyota can generate energy when the vehicle is in motion. They are 0.03 mm thick and capable of generating around 860 Watt of energy. Its range of motion is 44.5 km, but this can reach 56.3 km in good weather. There is currently no information about the expected start of sales for Prius PHV.