HYUNDAI Motor announced it is introducing its first solar roof charging system on the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
The carmaker explained the eco-friendly technology will provide vehicles with additional electrical power, as well as increase their fuel efficiency and driving range. The system supports the vehicle’s electric power source, improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.
Hyundai said it will use the technology on its future models.
“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 at Hyundai Motor Group. “We are striving to further expand the application of the technology beyond eco-friendly vehicle lineup to vehicles with internal combustion engines.”
Hyundai said the solar roof system has a structure of silicon solar panels mounted on the car’s roof. Because it can charge even while driving, the solar roof system can charge 30% to 60% of the battery per day. It is expected to increase drivers’ travel distances by an extra 1,300 kilometers per year.
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, according to Hyundai.
It noted the new Sonata Hybrid is equipped with the world’s first Active Shift Control and solar roof charging system. The car has a hybrid-exclusive design with enhanced dynamic elements, as well as a Smartstream G2.0 GDi HEV engine and a six-speed hybrid transmission, Hyundai said.
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