Keeping the pressure on

Jim Richards · 07-06-2008, 06:09 PM

Regardless of how effective this feature is in spurring demand or making the Prius more fuel efficient, Toyota is relentlessly keeping the pressure on the competition. Amazing.

Toyota to add solar panels to Prius hybrid: Nikkei

1 hour, 25 minutes ago

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) 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 (6971.T), the Nikkei said.

A Toyota spokeswoman could not immediately confirm the report.

The Prius, the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car, first went on sale in Japan in late 1997 and in other markets in 2000, and its cumulative sales have topped 1 million units worldwide.

Toyota remodeled the Prius with an improved hybrid system in 2003 and is expected to launch a third-generation version by next year.

(Reporting by Sachi Izumi; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Mule · 07-06-2008, 06:10 PM

Keeping manbearpig at bay!

Jim Richards · 07-06-2008, 06:12 PM

Or GM.

Aerkuld · Aerkuld's Garage

It isn't how effective it is, it's how effective people think it is.

pwd72s · 07-06-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerkuld

It isn't how effective it is, it's how effective people think it is.

So true...

Gogar · 07-06-2008, 07:18 PM

Guaranteed it's more effective than NO solar panels.

Yes, but at what cost, blah blah, the cost of the panels outweighs the blah, blah. I know.

Besides, even if we started now, we wouldn't be able to blah blah sustainable energy blah for at least 30 years blah, and I'll be almost dead by then blah so who cares.

You guys should check out the huge solar panel array going in at the Denver Airport. Mule would have a seizure!

john70t · 07-06-2008, 07:24 PM

Bhaa.
Nobody in the southwest would want their car automatically kept at 65 degrees while it's sitting in the parking lot.
The hot seat dance is for real men.

island911 · 07-06-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerkuld

It isn't how effective it is, it's how effective people think it is.

But only if it costs A lot more.

john70t · 07-06-2008, 08:18 PM

Shopping for a Prius, Island? I think they will still be offering the standard model.
Ya'know, with all that money saved on gas........

island911 · 07-06-2008, 08:36 PM

Na... I just see the eco competition as funny. --Seattle is a freak-show for "green". People here have bumper sticker wars, all trying to out-do each other. ...Biodiesel, hybrid... hybrid biodiesel...carbon neutral(paying al Gore)...electric...

I've considered installing a big "wind-up" key on the back of the 911, with a sticker that reads: "wound by fair-trade shade grown gnomes hatched from zero emissions carbon-credited Al Gores Butt" ....just to "fit in"

mikester · 07-06-2008, 09:43 PM

I have a prius and think that is stupid.

RoninLB · 07-06-2008, 10:13 PM

Oregun was the baby boomers' mystical green land where the hands of God add meaning to life.

Self Actualization would be attained after a visit there.

kstar · 07-06-2008, 10:24 PM

They're also putting folsom skin seats in that new, high-end Prius.

911pcars · 07-06-2008, 11:08 PM

What's not to like?

Toyota engineers will probably program the extra electricity generated to delay the ON-cycle of the on-board gas engine for improved mileage. The question is the cost/benefit calculation. At some price/gallon price point, it'll make more sense.

What, you guys still driving your Hummers and Escalades?

Sherwood

Arizona_928 · 07-06-2008, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikester

I have a prius.

did you wife make you?

slodave · slodave's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstarnes

They're also putting folsom skin seats in that new, high-end Prius.

I did a double take on this one.

kstar · 07-06-2008, 11:46 PM

Here's some data from a home brewed, solar cell Prius project, FWIW. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if the data is accurate.

Quote:

How much gasoline can this photovoltaic hybrid car save? Well let’s look at the energy available from the sun on the roof of the car. For June and July in Kingston Ontario, about 6 kWh of energy from the sun strikes each square meter of horizontal surface. If we install 2 square meters of photovoltaic panels on the car and we collect 10% of the energy from the sun as electricity (well within present PV efficiency), we can theoretically go about 8 km each day on just the sun’s energy. If we drive 24 km on a sunny day, that is enough to reduce our gasoline consumption by 33%. This would take the Prius from 5.0 l/100km [47 mpg] to 3.3 l/100km [71.2 mpg].

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/solar-powered_t.php

kstar · 07-06-2008, 11:50 PM

Here's some info on a company that makes a 3rd party cell solution for the Prius, this short article from before the OEM option mentioned above:

Quote:

While the Prius is more practical than high efficiency solar vehicles, why not add some solar to the Prius anyway? This solar kit from SEV seamlessly installs onto a Prius' roof and claims to add up to 20 miles per day of electric mode driving/increase fuel economy up to 29%. Compatible with Prius models from 2004-06, I'm enough of a cynic that I figure if the installation worked that well, the panels would have come standard in the first place (though we've heard that they are under consideration for next gen models). Then again, the 2-3 year "break even" scenario that SEV pitches on their website may have something to do with it.

http://gizmodo.com/390824/these-prius-solar-panels-should-come-standard

Jim Richards · 07-07-2008, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerkuld

It isn't how effective it is, it's how effective people think it is.

Absolutely. This is good marketing.

Jim Richards · 07-07-2008, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogar

Guaranteed it's more effective than NO solar panels.

Yes, but at what cost, blah blah, the cost of the panels outweighs the blah, blah. I know.

Besides, even if we started now, we wouldn't be able to blah blah sustainable energy blah for at least 30 years blah, and I'll be almost dead by then blah so who cares.

You guys should check out the huge solar panel array going in at the Denver Airport. Mule would have a seizure!

Just saw it the other day. Big. What are they powering with it?