Chris Leschinsky
Green Machines: Solar Aftermarket: Photovoltaic Prius
April 1, 2007
Greg Johanson is no stranger to harnessing the sun’s energy—he belonged to the
team that developed the Sunrunner, the world’s first, fully solar powered
vehicle. (In 1984 it set the solar vehicle speed record, when it achieved 41
mph.) Today, Johanson heads up Solar Electrical Vehicles, a company he founded
in 2005 to develop solar structures for hybrid automobiles.
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In short order,
Johanson developed the PV Prius roof module, the first commercially produced
solar component offered as an installation for hybrids—and, specifically, for
it’s namesake, the Toyota Prius. Designed to make optimum use of the hybrid
battery source, the photovoltaic component—which resembles a carbon fiber
roof—collects energy from the sun, charges a lead-acid battery source, and
converts it to work with the car’s standard NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) battery
pack. In addition to further reducing a Prius’ CO2 emissions, the PV Prius
boosts the average fuel economy of any Toyota Prius, built between 2004 and
2006, by 15 mpg. (Click image to enlarge)
The $4,500 roof panel can also be used on the manufacturer’s
RAV-4 EV and Highlander Hybrid. “In fact, the solar panel is more effective on
the Highlander than the Prius, because it nearly doubles the fuel efficiency,”
says Johanson.
If you want one, you’ll have to be patient. “We only produce
them in increments of 30 units, so there is a bit of a wait,” says Johanson.
Installation, though, is quick and straightforward enough for the do-it-yourself
crowd. “It only takes a couple of hours for us to attach the panel,” he
continues, “but it is a simple process and some people actually prefer to do it
themselves.”
SEV
www.solarelectricalvehicles.com
SPECIFICATIONS:
Price: $22,175 (MSRP: Prius) + $4,500 for the solar panel
Engine:
1.5-liter Inline 4
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power:
110 hp (utilizing the hybrid system)
Torque: 82 ft lbs @ 4,200 rpm
Curb
Weight: 2,960 lbs
Zero-to-60 mph: 10.1 seconds
Top Speed: 103
mph
Range: 750 miles (est.)
Average Fuel Consumption: 70 mpg
Pro: The
sun’ll come out, tomorrow.
Con: Not so advantageous at
night.
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