This article is based on an article from the Japanese edition of Engadget and was created using the translation tool Deepl.
NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) and Sharp Corporation have produced solar panels for electric vehicles using cells equivalent to the world’s most efficient solar cell modules developed by a NEDO project. These panels are capable of generating more than 1kW of rated power. It is estimated that the number of recharges per year could be reduced to zero depending on the usage patterns of the users.
The solar cell module with a conversion efficiency of 31.17%, developed as a NEDO project, is approximately 0.03mm thick. It is in film form and can be efficiently mounted along the curved surface of the car body. Sharp has installed solar cell panels using the module in Nissan’s e-NV200 EV and has achieved a power rating of 1150W, which is more than 1kW.
NEDO is planning to conduct public road tests using a combination of plug-in hybrid demonstration vehicles and solar panels to verify the effectiveness of solar cell-equipped mobile devices. In addition, the company aims to further improve the efficiency and cost reduction of solar panels for vehicles, creating new markets for solar cells and solving energy and environmental problems.
Source：Sharp