On the road in a solar car: The sun is shining, the e-car refuels with solar cells
The sun is shining and you are driving – no charging stop, instead an infinite amount of energy. This is no longer a dream, because solar cars are already being developed. However, cars with solar roofs are still in a fairly early stage of development. It will be a while before we can move around by the power of the sun alone.
It will certainly be a long time before a solar car is produced in series: Some concept vehicles and pioneering companies promise series production of cars with solar cells between 2023 and 2025. Until then, we will have to make do with conventional electric cars. Here we have prepared our top new car offers for you:
No more range anxiety with the solar car?
It sounds like every electric car fan's dream: just drive. You don't have to look for a charging station and still not be afraid of breaking down with your e-car. What sounds like nonsense at first would theoretically be quite possible with a solar car.
In practice, unfortunately, things look a little different at the moment. A drive that works solely on the power of the sun is far from being socially acceptable and will be a long time coming. Only a few manufacturers, including not exactly large car brands with high development budgets, have committed themselves to the solar car. After all, there are already prototypes and concept vehicles that show what the solar system for the electric car could look like.
Opportunities of cars with solar roofs
As far as sustainability is concerned, the drive via solar energy would definitely be the jackpot. In order to operate a conventional electric car sustainably, i.e. not to cause CO2 emissions, it must be charged exclusively with green electricity. However, this can hardly be guaranteed at public charging stations at the moment. But if the sun – simply because it shines – ensures that the e-car drives, that would be the most efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Problems of solar energy for e-cars
However, it fails above all because solar cells are currently still not very efficient. The efficiency is just 20 percent. By comparison, an electric car that is charged in the classic way has an efficiency of 85 percent – an enormous difference. Even hydrogen comes to about 60 percent. According to the current state of development, this would put the solar cell at the bottom of the list of sustainable drive types.
Of course, it can be argued that the efficiency of gasoline and diesel engines is also only about 30 percent – but there are hardly any development and research costs here, these drives have long since become established.
Which solar cars should there be?
At the moment, there are two manufacturers in particular – one from Germany and one from the USA – who are putting their energy, money and heart and soul into the development of solar cars. Both could even go into series production in the next few years.
Long-haul luxury liners: Lightyear 0
The Lightyear 0 could have been a luxury-class coupe, designed primarily for aerodynamics and long range. Comfortable and hassle-free travel would have been more tangible than ever with the Lightyear 0 – the promising range of up to 800 kilometers has fueled the ravenous appetite for the solar vehicle, and that doesn't even include the energy fed in by the solar cells. Weeks without refueling – that also sounded almost too good to be true – didn't it?
The fact that we have deliberately worded the above section of text in a subjunctive way is already a faint indication of the tragic fate that befell the Lightyear 0 at the beginning of 2023: Shortly after limited series production picked up speed in December 2022, the company had to put on the brakes harshly – the project was discontinued in January 2023.
Solar replacement car: Lightyear 2
After the existence of the Lightyear 0 had come to an abrupt end, the company did not bury its head in the sand - since only the production company and not the umbrella organization had fallen victim to bankruptcy, the development and conception of a new solar car could begin: Lightyear 2 is said to be the imaginative name of the model, which, according to the manufacturer, will be launched in 2025 and will be available for around 40,000 euros to the woman and to the man.
Included: Once again, a range of around 800 kilometres.
Solar van to share: Sono Sion
The German start-up Sono Motors pursued a completely different concept with the Sion solar van. There should have been room for the entire family here, the solar cell van would also have remained affordable and all this with a lot of innovations - a lot had been planned. The range of the Sion was to be around 305 kilometers for the production model, an additional 112 kilometers per week would have been gained by the Sion from its solar panels and the battery would have been completely free of cobalt, manganese and nickel. A very robust technology made of lithium iron phosphate was planned.
As standard, all Sion owners were also to be provided with a sharing app that could have been used to share the car or organize rides. Series production of the Sion was scheduled for 2023, but ultimately could not be put into practice. This solar car project was also evaporated again with little glory – Sono wants to concentrate on its role as a supplier and development partner in the future.
Various car brands that want to use Sonos solar technology in certain trucks, buses and cars are to benefit from this.
Aptera Sol: Dolphin on wheels
Among the many solar projects that have been discontinued, there are still some rays of hope that have not given up the dream of a solar-powered e-car. These include the US development called Aptera Sol, which has used the aerodynamically shaped body of the dolphin in terms of design. Three wheels and a more than futuristic look promise innovation – and this is also reflected in the figures:
In the entry-level variant with a 25 kWh battery, the speedster, which is designed for two people, is said to pack around 400 kilometres, while the optional version with a 100 kWh battery draws up to 1,600 kilometres of range from the power of electricity and the sun. Series production was already planned for 2022, but was postponed to 2023 despite the approximately 40,000 reservations.
Solar City Car
6,000 euros for a micro car? The Dutch-made Solar City Car at Squad Mobility is the solar alternative to the moped for young drivers. Minors with a moped driver's license can look forward to the small city runabout, because with a top speed of 45 km/h it is approved for them. Similar to the maximum speed, the range does not uproot any trees - but can be sufficient in everyday urban life.
The Solar City Car with the integrated batteries is supposed to travel about 50 kilometers, and the solar cells on the roof of the electric car also provide up to 20 additional kilometers. You can literally "tear out" – but actually rather lose weight – the doors, which are available for an extra 800 euros. Production is scheduled to start in 2023.
Soaking up the sun at home: Photovoltaic system for the e-car
At the moment, however, you can already make use of the sun's energy by charging your electric car with solar panels that you install on your own roof. Anyone who drives an e-car should definitely think about this, because the combination of photovoltaic system and e-car makes a lot of sense from an ecological and economic point of view.
Of course, it is hardly possible to always make optimal use of the self-produced electricity, but those who rely on good energy management can get the best out of it. Ideally, a control system in the wallbox can check completely independently whether there is excess electricity that would simply be fed into the power grid without an electric car. However, if an electric car is available, this electricity is automatically charged into the vehicle's battery.
If you don't use this management method, you have to look and check manually so that as much electricity as possible ends up in the e-car. However, it will probably be a while before the solar cell car is ready for series production and everyone has switched to electric mobility. Until then, we recommend a fuel-saving driving style and a fuel card to protect the environment as well as your wallet.
Solar cells as a feature for electric cars and commercial vehicles
Vehicles powered exclusively by the power of the red celestial fireball can confidently be described as dreams of the future. In addition, the explicit marketing of cars with solar roofs is also quite sparse. Many vehicle buyers are not even aware that some car manufacturers already offer "solar systems" for their models as an optional equipment detail – or have offered them.
The solar roof special equipment has already disappeared from the program of the South Korean group Hyundai. According to the manufacturer, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 was able to cover over 1,500 kilometers per year with panels. As expected, however, the solar cells were an expensive gimmick, for which customers had to pay a total of 11,850 euros in the Uniq package.
Toyota, for example, is also giving solar technology a chance and is providing an optional roof with cells for the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. Interested parties have to accept a surcharge of 3,000 euros in order to be able to drive an average of 1,000 kilometers a year with pure solar energy.
Meanwhile, solar technology is not exclusive to passenger cars – solar panels are also used in commercial vehicles to increase electric range. Sono Motors, for example, sells panels for truck trailers and buses. A three-wheeler delivery van with a solar roof from the Swedish company Clean Motion is also intended to facilitate delivery traffic in the urban environment.
FAQ about solar cars
How much will a solar car cost?
Solar technology in cars is by no means cheap. Smaller cars like the Aptera Sol or the Solar City Car may still be affordable given the price, but the cost-benefit factor raises other questions. A Lightyear 2 solar car, on the other hand, is to be launched for about 40,000 euros.
What are the problems with the application of solar energy in vehicles?
The central difficulty in the implementation of solar technology concerns efficiency. The use of solar panels on cars is not yet particularly efficient. It will probably be some time before a higher efficiency than with gasoline, diesel and co. can be achieved.
When will solar cars be mass-produced?
If the manufacturers' statements are to be believed, in 2023 it will be time for small solar runabouts such as the Solar City Car or the Aptera Sol to enter series production. Those waiting for the Lightyear 2 will probably have to wait until 2025.