Nissan has developed an Ariya concept car with solar panels fitted to its upper surfaces, to celebrate Clean Energy Day and to show how electric vehicles (EVs) could harness the most abundant renewable energy source going – the power of the sun.
Ah, but aren't solar panels notoriously inefficient at converting sunlight into energy?
They are, but as the technology progresses then the conversion efficiency should improve. And even with current tech levels, Nissan's concept vehicle has already proven that the solar panels do have a positive effect on range. The car was developed by engineers from the carmaker's Advanced Product Planning team in Dubai, along with the Powertrain Planning group based in Barcelona (two famously sunny places, incidentally). The Ariya has 3.8 square metres of photovoltaic panels integrated into the bonnet, roof and tailgate. The panels, made of polymer and glass, convert sunlight into DC power, with an advanced controller said to optimise energy usage and thus reduce the car's reliance on an external charging infrastructure.
And what gains did this technology bestow upon the Nissan Ariya concept?
Real-world testing by the manufacturer has shown that it can deliver up to 23km of additional range per day, although that's the extreme limit. In cities with high solar exposure, which includes Barcelona but perhaps not Dublin, the vehicle is said to be able to generate an average of 17.6km of daily solar-driving range. Indeed, worldwide, the figures gleaned show 10.1km in London (of a similar climate to our own country), 18.8km in New Delhi, and 21.3km in Dubai. Nissan further states that a two-hour, 80km journey can produce 0.5kWh of clean energy from the sun, adding up to 3km of 'free', zero-emission range. This in turn contributes to reducing a driver's EV charging frequency by up to 65 per cent, depending on usage, and that sort of solar performance will have useful implications for regions of the world where the charging infrastructure is limited. It is claimed by the manufacturer that EV owners could enjoy longer intervals between charges, greater autonomy, and lower cost-of-ownership – simply by parking or driving in the sun.
But these are incremental increases, are they not?
They are, but any positive increase of range has to be worth considering. The Nissan project, born out of the simplistic question 'what if EVs could charge themselves?', was made possible by allying with Dutch solar-mobility company Lightyear, the outfit which supplied the solar-panel technology for the carmaker to integrate into the Ariya's bodywork. Shunsuke Shigemoto, vice-president ePowertrain and Internal Combustion Engine Powertrain (ICE), Technology Research and Advanced Engineering and Chief Powertrain Engineer, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania, said: “The solar powered Ariya concept embodies Nissan's belief that innovation and sustainability must move forward hand in hand. “By exploring how vehicles can generate their own renewable energy, we are opening the door to new opportunities for customers – greater freedom, reduced charging dependency, and a cleaner future. This concept is not just a technical milestone; it's a vision of how Nissan intends to lead the next phase of electric mobility.”