Hyundai rolled out a new version of its Sonata Hybrid which comes factory fitted with a solar roof. It actually adds some zero emission range to the otherwise petrol-powered vehicle.
Under the hood, the new Sonata Hybrid comes with a rather standard gasoline engine that has been paired with an electric motor.
Energy from the moving vehicle is recouped through an onboard generator and stored in batteries which can then power the electric motor.
The implementation of hybrid powertrains are not new, but this one uses its rooftop solar panel to actually recharge its drive battery. That translates to a few more electric miles each day and each year that come from the sun instead of recovery after petroleum.
Hyundai claims that with 6 hours of sunlight each day, the solar panels will add enough charge to the battery for 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) per year.
Granted, that’s only an extra 3.6 kilometers per day (2.2 miles), but it is a nice little bonus. It’s like finding a bit of spare change in your pocket each and every day.
The new solar roof is the first generation in production for the company and was designed specifically for hybrids. Although this will not allow the vehicle to be completely powered by the sun, but will serve to keep the vehicle battery from latent discharge and add a few miles of range per day, which is better than nothing.
Reference- Clean Technica, Hyundai PR