Nissan made a cool nifty solar panel system for its popular Sakura electric car. The “Ao-Solar Extender” is a new solar system that can be extended and mounted on the roof.
Its purpose is to use the sun’s energy. This system was developed in-house to make owning an electric vehicle more convenient and less reliant on the electric power network.
The company says that this setup can make enough solar electricity each year to power up to 3,000 km, or more than 1,800 miles, of driving.
The solar power generated by the system could almost completely replace grid charging for many Sakura owners, who primarily use their cars for short trips like errands and school runs.
The genius of the nifty solar panel
This smartly designed nifty solar panel can charge the car while it’s driving and while it’s parked. A fixed panel on the roof collects solar energy even when the car is moving.
When the car is parked, an extra panel comes out of storage. This action makes the solar surface area bigger, which increases the system’s power generation potential to about 500 watts.
The bigger panel does more than just make electricity; it also makes shade by blocking the sun from hitting the windshield directly. This helps keep the cabin cooler, which means the air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard. Nissan made the whole system to fit with the Sakura’s look and cut down on aerodynamic drag.
In 2021, this solar project was an entry in Nissan’s internal idea contest. It is a wonderful example of how the company plans to offer new and long-lasting ways to get around.
The nifty solar system provides a free driving range and serves as an emergency power source during disasters. Nissan has said that the Ao-Solar Extender will be available as a commercial product in the future. More information will be released later.
