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AUDI developing solar panels to help power its electric vehicles

858 518 23 211

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together with alta devices, AUDI (h ps://www.designboom.com/tag/audi/) are developing thin-film solar
panels to be fi ed into the panoramic glass roofs of its car designs (h ps://www.designboom.com/tag/car-
design/). this technology aims to generate solar energy (h ps://www.designboom.com/tag/solar-power/) in
order to increase the range of its forthcoming electric vehicles (h ps://www.designboom.com/tag/electric-
automobiles/), such as the already previewed ‘e-tron sportback
(h ps://www.designboom.com/technology/audi-e-tron-sportback-electric-concept-car-04-18-2017/)’. as well
as its small size and flexibility, the green innova ons claim to have an efficiency of 25% and perform well even
in low light condi ons.
the AUDI e-tron qua ro concept
all images courtesy of AUDI AG

‘the range of electric cars plays a decisive role for our customers. together with alta devices and hanergy, we
plan to install innova ve solar technology in our electric cars that will extend their range and is also sustainable,’
stated AUDI board of management member for procurement, dr. bernd martens. ‘that would be a milestone
along the way to achieving sustainable, emission-free mobility.‘

dr. ding jian, senior vice president of hanergy thin film power group limited, CEO of alta devices, inc. and co-
leader of the AUDI/hanergy thin film solar cell research and development project, said: ‘this partnership with
AUDI is alta devices’ first coopera on with a high-end auto brand. by combining alta’s con nuing
breakthroughs in solar technology and AUDI’s drive toward a sustainable mobility of the future, we will shape
the solar car of the future.‘

an example of the thin-film solar cells to be fi ed in panoramic glass roofs of AUDI models
with the first prototype set to be build by the end of 2017, AUDI (h p://www.audi.com/en.html) are teaming
up with alta devices (h ps://www.altadevices.com/), a subsidiary of the chinese solar-cell specialists, hanergy
(h p://www.hanergy.com/en/). this development will see the ultra-thin solar cells be placed within the
automobiles’ glass roofs, but the german brand are thinking on a much bigger scale in the long term. in the
future, they are planning to cover almost the en re top surface with solar cells, enhancing the sun’s energy to
power the car’s electrical system, like the air-condi oning, and thus improve the EV’s driving range.

m spears I designboom

858 518 23 211

   

Sorry to disappoint, but a small solar panel on the roof of a car is not going improve the range by anything
useful. Based, on 2 square meters, 25% efficiency, brightest sunlight for 10 hours, you’re looking at total 5 kWh
that’s absolutely best case scenario. Which would be worth about 15 miles of driving – that’s the best you’ll
ever see.
More likely, you only have 1 square meter of roof area, you only get about 15% efficiency, and only about 7
hours of good sunlight. That’ll be:- 1 kWh, about 3 miles of driving.
Probably not worth the effort and expenses.
This is probably just a story to keep some interest up in the Audi EV programme more than anything else..
Tam
Tam aug 25, 2017

(h ps://www.design

solar-panels-
I like the fact you’re bringing things back down to Earth Tam, with numbers and stuff. But I don’t think it’s quite
as useless an effort as you suggest. electric-vehicles-
The point is not to make a solar-powered vehicle! 08-24-
Now that CAN be done, and races are run every year across Australia using totally solar-powered cars, which
2017/#comment-
are super-light, ridiculously aerodynamic, and have every inch covered in solar cells. Those vehicles tend to
average about 50mph, but they’re all seriously experimental. 1209698)

Back here in the real world, imagine you go away for the weekend and you can’t charge your car at your
des na on. It will sit all day in the sun for two days, soaking up a useful amount of energy. And since that
energy is free, and there’s really no down-side to making a glass roof into a solar panel, then why not?
People have objected to a wholesale move to EV’s because there would then be more load on the power grid,
but I predict that all cars will have solar cells built in all over their upper surfaces. There’s no reason you
couldn’t build the cells right into the paint layer on body panels, as well as in all the windscreens. Those cars will
get a full fast charge from the house or street supply, then will con nue to pump power back into the grid from
their solar cells.
A typical car spends at least 95% of its life sat idle under the sky. I see no reason why cars couldn’t be more-or-
less self-sufficient in energy, and have a ne zero or even a posi ve impact on the power grid.
Paul sep 07, 2017

(h ps://www.design

solar-panels-
Tam – It depends if you are trying to increase range, or decrease the amount of me between charging. Based
on your numbers – if you only did a few miles in you car a day, and the rest of the me it just sat there – then
electric-vehicles-
in theory you wouldn’t need to ever charge it. So that would be good!
08-24-
Ian sep 07, 2017
2017/#comment-
(h ps://www.design
1212353)
Perfect for me then – I work 1.5 miles from my house! solar-panels-
Katey sep 07, 2017
electric-vehicles-
(h ps://www.design
08-24-

have something to add? share your thoughts in our comments sec on below. solar-panels-
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electric-vehicles-
1212476)
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