To the best of my research the solar panel only powers a small fan that circulates the cabin air with outside air while the car is sitting.
Prius solar panel on off switch.
So while your prius is parked in the sun it is actually storing energy and powering the ventilation system and fan maintaining a cooler temperature on the interior of your vehicle.
It doesn t recharge the 12v battery it certaintly wouldn t do any good for the actual traction battery to drive the car.
The idea to power your electric vehicle from direct sunlight is.
Solar panels located on the roof of your new toyota prius absorb the sun s rays and use that absorbed solar energy to power the vehicle s ventilation system.
Unlike the previous solar panels to adorn its plug in hybrid the new.
Toyota has fitted out an experimental prius with a fresh rooftop solar kit to explore the limits of sun powered road travel.
The new prius models will have solar panels built by sharp thin films that are around 0 001 inches thick.