Hyundai Motor has unveiled a car with solar panels on the roof for charging the batteries for its hybrid system. 2020 Hyundai Sonata was revealed recently at the 2019 New York Auto Show and is the first car in its lineup with a solar-panel roof. Hyundai says that the eco-friendly technology will provide vehicles with additional electrical power, as well as increasing fuel efficiency and driving range. The system supports the vehicle’s electric power source and reducing CO2 emissions as well.
In the coming years, Hyundai will roll out the technology to other vehicles across its range. The solar roof system includes a structure of silicon solar panels that are mounted on the car’s roof. Being able to charge even while driving, the solar roof system can charge 30 to 60 percent of the battery per day. With 6 hours of daily charging, it is expected to increase the travel distance by an extra 1,300 km annually.
The system is composed of a solar panel and a controller. Electricity is produced when solar energy activates the solar panel’s surface, which converts this energy by using photons of light from the sun. This creates the electron-hole pairs in silicon cells, which generate solar electricity.
The electricity from this process is converted to the standard voltage by the controller, then stored in the battery. While the solar roof system currently plays a supporting role, it opens up perspectives for vehicles that no longer need fossil fuel to operate.
Also read: Top 5 electric car myths busted: Not like smartphones and they don’t catch fire spontaneously
“Solar roof technology is a good example of how Hyundai Motor is moving towards becoming a clean mobility provider. The technology allows our customers to actively tackle emissions issue” says, Heui Won Yang, Senior Vice President and head of Body Tech Unit of Hyundai Motor Group. “We are striving to further expand the application of the technology beyond eco-friendly vehicle line up to vehicles with an internal combustion engine.”
The new Sonata comes equipped with Hyundai’s Smartstream G2.0 GDi HEV engine paired with a six-speed transmission. The 2020 Sonata also supports a ‘Digital Key’ function via a dedicated smartphone app. It is now on sale in Korea and will soon be sold in North America. However. the manufacturer has not made any announcement over the new Sonata’s launch in India.
