Toyota to install solar panels on Prius

[Zenlitened]

Source: Reuters

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp plans to install solar panels on its next-generation Prius hybrid cars, becoming the first major automaker to use solar power for a vehicle, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday.

The paper said Toyota would equip solar panels on the roof of the high-end version of the Prius when it redesigns the gasoline-electric hybrid car early next year, and the power generated by the system would be used for the air conditioning.

Toyota plans to use solar panels made by Kyocera Corp, the Nikkei said.

A Toyota spokeswoman could not immediately confirm the report.




Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-toyota.html

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. These folks are just so far ahead of the curve............

[DainBramaged]

48. Right, so why did they wait till AFTER GM announced the Volt to announce a plug-in of their own?

Just remember (and you won't) the Japanese government funded the Peeus, otherwise Toyota would have NEVER released it.


These folks are so ahead of the curve..............:eyes:

[llmart]

51. So, the Japanese government funded it......

I'd say that was pretty progressive. Do you see our government doing anything progressive? No, they just sit there taking perks from the fatcat auto lobbyists.

I have always been pro-union but you have to keep an open mind on some of this stuff. The UAW isn't all pure as the new fallen snow. You can be pro-union but still question them.

[hendo]

70. Damn straight

I hate the pro-union people that never call anything a union does into question.

[The Stranger]

59. The Big Three were too busy marketing dinosaur SUV gas guzzlers to do the research on hybrid tech.

Now they want a bailout (while claiming to want the "free market" to operate. Let the free market do away with them. It is their own hypocritcal, imbecilic fault.

[TheCowsCameHome]

60. Toyota and the others are eating Detroit's lunch.

...........And who the F cares who funds it? Detroit is sinking whether you care to believe it or not..

[DainBramaged]

61. Another expert and Union supporter

More like an athletic supporter.

Think about what the Slim Jim guy used to say in his commercials.:eyes:

[TheCowsCameHome]

66. Union all my working life, bro, including the UAW.

Fact is Detroit just can't let go of building the dinosaurs that have now fallen out of favor. They thought Americans would keep buying them no matter what.

The days of the guzzlers are gone, so you and the managment teams running the Big Three had better get on board, or be left on the platform.

[DainBramaged]

72. Shit, just because GM or Ford didn't build a Peeus, all their cars are shit?

I'll say it AGAIN, Detroit BUILT THOSE DINOSAURS BECAUSE THE FUCKING PUBLIC wanted them, PERIOD ,AND IF GAS WENT BACK TO .99 CENTS A GALLON LIKE IT DID IN 1999, THEY'D WANT THEM AGAIN.

DON'T GIVE ME THAT PURER THAN THOU BULLSHIT! I bet you don't even own a modern domestic, but went over to the dark side years ago because you are an expert.

What utter bullshit.

[TheCowsCameHome]

77. Um, all but one of my five cars are GM, not that I care what you think.

I don't think GM cars are shit or I wouldn't own any, they were just too slow to see the writing on the wall. Now the consumer wants economy as well as comfort. Times have changed.

But the dinosaurs are gone, so GM, Ford, Chrysler et al had better get busy catching up.

And gasoline isn't going back to 99 cents a gallon, so don't hang your hat on that star.

[LanternWaste]

80. I support the Unions-- always have

I support the Unions-- always have.Always will. And living in TX, that ain't a popular position to take, but there it is.

Having said that, criticizing the the Roger Smith's of the world is not the same as criticizing the Union-- and after having read the tone and tenor of some of your posts, I think you'd do yourself a great service to keep that in mind.

Toyota and the Japanese government colluded on an investment into affordable, super-efficient models; while back here in the States, the GM shareholders lined our government official's pockets with cash to prevent stricter CAFE regulations.

No one's blaming the line-workers, pal-- we're pointing our fingers at the Roger Smiths, and to be honest, I think you should be doing the same damnable thing.

[wordpix]

87. got rid of my '91 Accord in '02 b/c it was burning too much gas, bought a Civic

So much for the "experts" in the US auto industry who couldn't see their days of dino gas guzzlers were over. Next time around, labor needs to lead the charge and say hell no, we won't produce this kind of backward-thinking product.

[Chovexani]

68. I wish our government would fund cars like the "Peeus"

Instead of giving tax breaks for Earth raping penis replacements.

[DainBramaged]

71. Not my decision to make, nor to blame me!

[Chovexani]

74. Not blaming you, man

Proud kid of union parents. Just utterly FRUSTRATED that our government would rather see the Japanese become kings of innovation rather than rewarding American ingenuity. :(

[Jersey Ginny]

2. Very cool! (sorry about the A/C pun)

That is creative leadership! I'd like to see it one day from American companies. . .

[madrchsod]

3. saab had solar panels in one of it`s concept cars

they were used to heat and cool the interior car. saab was years ahead of toyota then saab sold out to---general motors!

[burythehatchet]

4. and GM, I'm guessing, killed the concept in favor of the Hummer

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. Would've required panels the size of an aircraft carrier.

[burythehatchet]

19. apparently not since Toyota seems to have engineered it.

:shrug:

[SpiralHawk]

13. What's good for General Motors is...um...unfathomable

They bought into republicon-think, and thus they are FAILED.

As are all things republicon.

It's more heart-rending than a Greek tragedy.

[benld74]

5. Toyota is doing the same effin thing the big 3 did!

Solar panels on th HIGH END PRIUS. So if you want it you pay for it. Come on, just make them well, flood the market with the vehicles and a lower price and have all the rest scramble to grab the market share back from you! They know how this game is played and they are playing it to get the most bang for their buck at the expense of the people as always.
This is going way to slow, and when will the govt change the speed to 55 again? Make it mandatory.

[marshall]

62. When will it be put on lower end, affordable cars?

Those who can afford high end cars aren't in that much of a bind with the higher gas prices. It would be nice if some of the gas saving technology was spread amongst the masses.

[wordpix]

88. Toyota had the Echo and now the Yaris and they're good cars at 42 mpg+

and don't cost a lot. Toyota is out in front and Honda's not far behind. My 02 Civic gets about 40 mpg hwy and has lots of room.

[prole_for_peace]

6. Dammit, that was MY idea...

I have been saying that they should have panels on the roof for years. Screwn again...

[Tunkamerica]

8. kidding, right?

[prole_for_peace]

57. I am serious.

I see cars with sun roofs and the like and I told my co-workers "Why doesn't Toyota put some solar cells on the roof of the car to charge the batteries while it is parked?"

I am not saying that I am the only person who thought of this. I am just saying that it seemed obvious.

[robinlynne]

12. me too, and everyone said "that's ridiculous"...

[caraher]

14. You couldn't drive far on solar panels

Not even on a sunny day. In that sense it is "ridiculous..." but solar cells for air conditioning is a perfect match of resource abundance and demand.

They really need to make a plug-in hybrid ASAP. It isn't so hard! It's beyond me why companies 80% of the way there with existing hybrid technology are so slow to take that one technologically small but large impact extra step. You'd have a LOT of commuters whose gas engines would never kick in on a typical day!

[skids]

17. Actually the math is getting better these days...

18,000Wh is worth a gallon of gas/50 miles in the Prius. Average commute one way to/from work is 16 miles, that's about 6KwH. When parked outside of work for 6 hours of effective sunlight (allowing for parralax since you probably won't have active tracking), your homebound commute would be covered if you had 1KW worth of cells. That would be on the order of 75 square feet. The Prius's total size is about that. A fold-out tent of panels would be needed right now, but if cell efficiencies rose enough it might be able to get by with just a layered rolldown array that covers the windshield and hood while in use.

[Dr.Phool]

20. They're making one next year, and conversion kits are available this month.

For 2008 and older Priuses, and other cars.

www.A123systems.com

I have a 2008 Prius, for my wife now. I'll get a plug-in for me next year.

[nikto]

39. The only problem with plug-in cars...

You need a really LOOOOOOng extension cord.

:)

[spinbaby]

44. Dang

Mine is a 2007. But I hardly wait to see what they've got when I'm ready to trade in my Prius in about five years.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Don't know how effective but there was a cartoon in today's paper

showing a hybrid car plugged into SMA 5000-Watt inverter that was powered by 185 Watt Solar Panels. After installation cost to run the vehicle... 0

The Opus characters were mooning Middle East, Big Oil and Cheney.

[prole_for_peace]

58. We are geniuses. (is that correct?)

I read that the Patagonia company had some parking spaces that have solar panel "roofs". These are for the employees that can plug in their cars. That is kinda the same idea as the solar cells on the car roofs.

[Duke Newcombe]

7. Again, another country eats our lunch re: innovation and progress

I'm ALMOST hoping for GM to go under so Toyota can pick it up on the cheap and do right by the consumer and the worker.

Duke

[BearSquirrel2]

41. Generous Motors

GM workers will never see benefits as good as they have recently have. My Uncle calls him employer Generous Motors. When GM DOES file for bankruptcy (it's inevitable) all those pensioners will lose their pensions. Toyota will NOT pick up that tab. The federal government will.

[DainBramaged]

50. And I'm almost hoping your company goes out of business so you can collect unemployment

and feel the pain too. Workers at the Japanese Transplants make about 1/3 less than UAW workers, and most of their plants are located in some of the poorest and educationally deprived areas of the country.

Why is that? And yet, their vehicle costs are on a par with the Domestics.


GM invented the EV, the Japanese government responded by funding the Peeus, now GM announces the Volt and the Japanese try to play catch up and announce their own plug in hybrids.

Why don't you move to Japan? And work in one of OUR manufacturing plants there? Oh wait, we don't HAVE any, the Japanese government won't let us assemble cars in Japan.

So sorry you are so ignorant to the real situation in the auto business.

[WriteDown]

52. Excellent post DainBramaged

The cheer squad for Japanese companies on DU is disturbing. Japanese companies in general are very difficult places to work. They expect absolute fealty and they have no aversion to working you to death. No legacy benefits, less pay, etc. Seems that some on DU wouldn't mind seeing the end of the UAW and other unions as long as they could drive their trendy Prius'.

[Duke Newcombe]

65. I'm sorry you mourn the passing...

of GM. The union and the company have rogered each other through the decades, and the total lack of vision of GM, coupled with the collusion with BigOil will be their downfall.

Duke

[DainBramaged]

73. Roger this

X

[Duke Newcombe]

78. I don't quite understand. Perhaps you can amplify a bit?

Duke

[PADemD]

9. My dream car!

My car sits in a parking lot all day soaking up the sun. I wondered why auto makers couldn't put solar panels on the roofs of cars.

[kestrel91316]

63. What would be great in my area, where the one thing we

desperately need on summer days is SHADE, would be carports with solar PV atop them and plug-ins for electric car motors/hybrids. Your car could get topped up while you are at work, and then topped up again while you are home sleeping (plugged into the outlet).

But that would make way too much sense.

In back of my clinic there is an electrical outlet. I could easily park right there and run a cord for recharging from that. IF I had an electric car.......

[hendo]

10. People have been doing at as an after market mod

for a few months now. Its quite popular here in Colorado. It's about time that Toyota announces this.

[Chovexani]

69. I have seen a few Prii with them around town here in the Phoenix area

I always see a couple parked in the ASU Research Park when I pass by.

That would be ragingly popular here considering how much sun we get. Good for Toyota.

[Earth_First]

15. One-up'd (again) n/t

[Ian David]

16. All Your Innovation Are Belong to Us!

You have no chance to survive...



Make your time!



HA HA HA HA!




What you say???

[a la izquierda]

18. My only question is this: hail damages solar panels...

on houses. Hail destroys cars (I've seen it myself this spring). How the heck much is it going to cost to fix a solar cell on a hail damaged car?
Not trying to be Debbie Downer, but what insurance company is going to cover that? I'm all for new tech and can't wait to afford to get a Prius...but how affordable (or not, more likely) are these going to be to repair?

[Dr.Phool]

21. OK Michele Downer.

How often does your car get beaten up by hail now?

And, your insurance would cover it.

[LiberalFighter]

25. Neighbor has had solar panels on top of his house for at least 22 years.

Haven't been damaged during that time.

[spag68]

30. IMHO

Debbie downer is correct, and since when do houses go 60mph? Wanted to add, one break in the panel stops that panel altogether.

[a la izquierda]

45. I was watching a program a couple of...

years ago and it discussed how homeowner's insurance doesn't cover solar panels. They're incredibly expensive to fix. I totally agree with you. I live in Oklahoma and hail damages a lot of cars. A solar panel on a roof and a decent hailstorm and the panels could be destroyed...it just doesn't seem to make much sense in certain parts of the country.
I have heard of technology that using a type of foil like material that can be embedded into windows, but even that probably wouldn't work.

Good grief, apparently playing devil's advocate on here doesn't work.

[DainBramaged]

46. Nope, people have preconceived notions and god-forbid you throw a wrench at their monkey

Always remember, at DU the Japanese do no wrong.:eyes:

[a la izquierda]

49. Lol

:)

[Lorien]

33. My 14 year old Camry has been through one golfball sized hail storm

here in Florida. In 14 years, that's it-and it sure as hell wasn't "destroyed". I'll take my chances.

[soothsayer]

40. so put 'em under moonroof glass.

[BearSquirrel2]

42. A cover ...

Cover them with Lexan.

I think this idea of running a car on solar panels is a red herring. I future energy strategies MUST be about diversity. It's a car that you can run off gas, charge (to some degree) off solar and plug in when an outlet is convenient. The Prius looks like it's going this route.

[madrchsod]

22. saab`s new concept car using solar panels to charge batteries

http://reviews.carreview.com/blog/solar-roof-panels-on-saab-hybrid-concept/

[Javaman]

24. This just in...

GM has announced that they are installing a coal plant on the back of the new hydrogen car!

[Dr.Phool]

26. Followed by Ford's announcement

For a Hydroelectric powerplant in the Mercury Mariner.

[daleo]

27. And Dodge

is working on a truck with a nuclear power plant in the box.

[spag68]

28. I've quickly read the posts here

I'm sorry to say you people are not doing your homework. about all you cam get on a car is 300w, since as an example, a 208 watt sharp panel measures about 37 by 65 inches. how that is going to make 1.8kw in 6 hours is a little foggy. it's a great idea, but about the most you can do is run a fan to exhaust air. Wouldn't even run an ac unit. I wish it were so, but it's not. You could charge your phone battery's and run the electronic gear, like gps.

[DRoseDARs]

31. Indeed, this is just such a lame gimmick to attract suckers ... and it will probably work.

Toyota should focus the monies on developing its next-gen engines instead of this nonsense.

[spag68]

32. How about this Toyota?

Pay your workers a little more and use Honda's engines. I've never figured out why it is so hard to study what they have done and copy it. That's what the Japanese did after WW-2, and now they are on top.

[DRoseDARs]

35. Well, I wouldn't go so far as advocating corporate espionage... ;-)

...but perhaps leasing use of the engine technology from Honda (or from anyone that has compatible and appropriately green-ish tech) for 5-7 years while fleshing out their own next-gen tech. People are ready for improvements in fuel efficiencies and that seems a good way of getting a jump on eagerness while preparing for the hydrogen economy.

[DainBramaged]

47. There ya go. Reality strikes deep, into their hearts, they shall weep

They won't listen, they are SURE god-Toyota will make it happen.

[fascisthunter]

76. "they are SURE god-Toyota will make it happen"

No... but you sure are sure that GM is better. Who here is pushing an automotive company? Who here claims what you said about Toyota=god?

I'd say you were too bias to make an objective decision on automotive companies. GM is doing terrible job staying afloat and it aint the workers fault nor is it the consumer's responsibility to buy from them.

[Kolesar]

53. Mazda had a car with a PV-moonroof that would run the fan while parked

And that is about the usefulness of this application.

Toyota's PVs add weight to the car.

I always thought that a PV panel to add charge to my battery while it sat in the winter would be good. The battery "barely" charges up because the headlights and heater fan are on when I am driving. Batteries need all the "charge" they can get in cold weather.

[DRoseDARs]

29. They'll probably tack on several thousand $$$s extra to the price tag for something you can...

...build and install yourself (or with help of more mechanically-inclined friends/relatives) for a few hundred. Sorry, but I'm not impressed.

[tridim]

34. Photo-voltaic paint would be pretty sweet!

[DRoseDARs]

36. That's been developed as have PV windows; it's just they're both costly and not really efficient.

Buildings built with both would be good, but unfortunately the small surface area of a car just wouldn't be worth the effort or expense.

[NBachers]

43. Nanosolar has PV printed on sheet metal

The thin-film technology is printed on foil-like material that's run through the application process like newsprint on a newspaper printing press. It's the world's lowest-cost solar panel, with high output. All a car's panels can be solar panels with Nanosolar technology. No, it's not enough to power an automobile, but it's enough to keep a charge going into the batteries as long as it's light outside.

http://www.nanosolar.com

[JeanGrey]

37. Fine. When they make the car AFFORDABLE for the working

poor, let me know.

[workinclasszero]

64. No kidding

Thats what pisses me off. I thought I read GM was gonna charge 40,000 for the Volt! And a Prius is already 22 grand or more.

The people who really need theses cars will not be able to afford one. Fuckin capitalism, gotta love it!:sarcasm:

[LTR]

38. I'm holding out for the flux capacitor

[Duke Newcombe]

79. Don't you mean, "Mr. Fusion"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3513167

Duke

[CountAllVotes]

54. great idea!

I'm waiting for them to perfect the new cars being made. In the meantime I'll hang on to my Accord. :)

:kick:

[Steerpike]

55. So What does a Prius run these days?

Maybe 24,000? And what kind of milage?

[DainBramaged]

56. Actually, they list the 'base price' as $20,950 but finding a base one is impossible

I just checked inventories for the Toyota dealers around me. They have PLENTY in stock, and they are all around $23,000 before including delivery, sales tax, doc fees and tags.


48 City / 45 Hwy (YOUR millage will vary).

[Chovexani]

75. It depends on your area

Here in Phoenix base ones are easy to find, it's the higher number packages that are scarce. Word on the street was they were sending the more tricked out models to the Bay Area in Cali.

Now with how weak the dollar is, it's hard to find any at all.

[Chovexani]

67. OMG that rules!

Prius: still my dream car. Make it a plug-in and it will be even better.

[DainBramaged]

81. DU-LOVE that imported car, disregard the role of the union worker

I'm just going to start ignoring you hypocrites. You'll never get it, not until it's too late. I've owned GM cars all of my life since my first Chevy ('59 Impala) to the present, and never owned any foreign iron, never will. And when it comes to you folks who think owning a Peeus gives you a pass on being environmentally responsible, it doesn't, but you don't get that either.

Bullshit. Time to just block this thread. It ALWAYS brings out the American car haters. And the pretend Union supporters.

[Nihil]

84. So who made *you* the chief DU censor?

> Time to just block this thread.

:eyes:

> ... never owned any foreign iron, never will.

Spoken like the true American isolationist you are.

Infantile slanging ("Peeus", really ...) and arrogant ranting whilst
proudly proclaiming your ignorance of the world beyond your factory gate.

> And when it comes to you folks who think owning a Peeus gives you a
> pass on being environmentally responsible, it doesn't, but you don't
> get that either.

Go back to your Hummer and get someone to read you some facts on the
meaning of "environmentally responsible" because you haven't a clue.

[goforit]

82. tooooo cool.

[phrenzy]

83. Without the Prius, GM would not be working on the "Volt"

Funny how global competition works.

God forbid anybody criticize American auto companies for their lack of innovation or ability to see beyond the next quarter.... You know like a few years down the line, when gas is expensive? Nope - Gotta get that money from the Hummers NOW!! Fuck all the other 'hippie' projects, right? See where that gets GM.


And claiming that GM simply made inefficient cars because "people fucking wanted them"? Considering that the Prius outsells every single model of GM car, I'd say that was untrue. People seem to "fucking want" the "Peeus" and your bitterness won't change that fact.

I wish GM the best of luck with the volt, and will happily buy one IF they ever bring it to market. In the mean time, I will not buy a car I do not want.

[joshcryer]

85. Too bad the Prius does more ecological damage than a regular car.

CO2 is easy enough to sequester (carbon taxes, done, pow, end). The mitigating factors making big expensive batteries and other technologies in the Prius isn't, so much.

[Nihil]

86. Agree about the batteries but you are way wrong on the first bit ...

> CO2 is easy enough to sequester (carbon taxes, done, pow, end).

Look up the word "sequester". It doesn't mean what you think it means.
As a result, you are ~180 degrees out on your accuracy.

(And that's quite separate from comparing the Prius to a "regular car".)