The Solar Powered Cars You Can (kind of) Buy

3 min read

Sticking solar panels on cars is a concept that might come across as the best solution to running EVs. They absorb energy from the sun’s rays while you drive (or park), and they would not require long charging times or absorb large amounts of electricity while charging. While this sort of on-the-go concept of owning an EV sounds extremely convenient, it is not yet a reality. Fortunately, there are some car companies who are developing or have already developed prototype solar powered cars.

Sono Sion

The Sono Sion is an electric solar car that is still under development by the German start-up Sono Motors GmbH. The vehicle’s special design feature is that it has 248 solar cells embedded in its plastic body panels on both the roof and the sides, which can boost driving range by 112km on average each week. This driving range can be bumped up to 245km in peak conditions. Fast charging can charge the Sion’s 54kWh battery pack to 80% in just 35 minutes. Total driving range is about 305km and top speed about 140km/h. The company first unveiled the prototype in 2017 and estimates that production begin in the second half of 2023, with the car set to cost €28 500 (R494 286,90). The company has already secured 19 000 pre-orders which they are aiming to deliver in 2023.

Sono & MAN trucks and buses

Although they are yet to make an actual vehicle, it is worth mentioning that Sono Motors and MAN have partnered to explore making solar powered trucks and buses. This includes placing thin-film solar panels on the roofs and sides of trucks with 30m trailers. Under peak conditions in Munich, these solar panels can produce 82kWh/day, resulting in up to 80% saved energy costs for refrigerated trailers compared to diesel trucks. 

Fisker Ocean

Fisker revealed their new SUV in 2021 which has a built-in solar roof. Fisker’s solar sky roof technology is capable of producing enough energy for a 2 400 - 3 200 km a year range. The driving ranges of their models are between 402 and 708 km, with prices starting from $37 499 (R672 216,07) and going up to $68 999 (R1 236 892,63). The company claims to have over 51 000 reservations. Production is scheduled to begin on 17 November 2022.

Lightyear 0 (formerly Lightyear One)

The Lightyear 0 is equipped with 5m² of double curved solar array that reaches 215W/m². The company says that an hour in the sun translates to 12km of driving range. This could yield 70km at the end of a day, which is outstanding considering 66% of South Africans drive less than 50km a day and a further 14% drive between 50 and 74 km a day. This wide range comes from the energy usage efficiency of the Lightyear 0, which stands at 83Wh/km whereas the Tesla Model 3 manages 167Wh/km. The expected driving range of 725km is set to come with a price of €150 000 (R2 601 510,00). The Lightyear 0 was unveiled in 2019 with production being constantly postponed. Purchase units are now expected to be delivered by November.

Aptera Motors’ Aptera

The Aptera is said to reach 1 609km on a single charge due to its interesting structure. It weighs 65% less than a normal EV and consumes 30% of what normal EVs and hybrids consume. Its 700W of solar cells can provide 25.75 – 64.37 km of additional range per day. This vehicle may only need to be charged a few times a year if its driver drives less than 50km per day. Delivery of these vehicles is predicted to commence by the end of the year, with prices ranging from $25 900 - $50 700 (R 464 289,62 - R 908 860,37). This gives the Aptera the best price to range ratio on the market.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

A limited-edition version of the new Hyundai Sonata features a 22.8% efficient solar roof which will increase the driving range by 3.22km per day under ideal conditions. This low range is due to the car not being originally designed for this sort of technology. Prices for the Sonata start at $35 550 (R637 277,83).

Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX

Mercedes-Benz has also joined the solar car development foray. Their EQXX contains 117 solar cells on its roof which provide around 25km in added range per day (in ideal conditions of course). It has yet to go into production but has an estimated price of £110 000 (R2 141 172,85) and a reported energy consumption of 10kWh per 100km (lower than the 18.5kWh per 100km of the Tesla Model S), making it the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever designed.

None of these cars can go on solar alone but are meant to reduce dependency on cable charging. The issue of sufficient space on the surface of a car, low efficiency of solar panels, and vehicles having to be specially designed to fully enhance this technology make it all the more costly and complex to produce fully solar powered cars.

Are there any solar powered cars you know of that we did not mention? Would you own a solar powered car? Is this the solution for EVs in South Africa? Share your thoughts by replying to this email!

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