.: Auto Solar Energy .Com :.

Toyota Prius, is the world's most popular hybrid and will increase it's energy saving features. Toyota will include solar panels on the roof of its new high-end Prius models.

Toyota will be the first major automaker using solar power for a vehicle, and will use Kyocera solar cells to provide
extra power specially to the the air conditioning system.
This panels are capable of supplying part of the 2-5 kilowatts of power needed to run the air con unit. Whether the solar system will be optional or standard isn’t clear.

Toyota, has sold more than a million Prius models over the past decade and is planning to sell a million hybrids a year sometime after 2010. This carmaker have plans to produce about 450,000 Priuses in 2009. This vehicle can get around 100 miles-per-gallon.

One of the main troubles is the the slow supply, because Toyota did not anticipate the demand that high oil prices would cause.

But the Prius is not the first mass-marketed vehicle to use solar panels, in the 1992 Mazda 929 offered solar panels in the sunroof that would run fans to cool the interior while it was parked.

The Audi A8 has offered an optional solar panel sunroof to power interior venting fans since 1997.

Some people in Canada and other countries are trying to do-it-yourself experimenting with solar panels on a Prius as well.

Sites like solarelectricalvehicles.com have a 5000$ kit with which you can drive 15 to 20 miles every day on solar power ONLY

Would you buy one if the oil prices increase ?

Please have your comments section below.