Comments on: Next Generation Prius to Have Solar Panel Roof Option

By: AMaki

AMaki — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:04:12 +0000

I think it’s a great idea. Look, you can guess at a cost based on the _retail_ cost of home rooftop panels, plus markup, but that doesn’t make sense, Toyota’s not going to pay retail for the panels. You can say that they won’t add much to the mileage, but they could add something, especially if you’re like me and run/charge iPods, cell phones, air conditioning etc in the car.
Sure you can poo poo it as a “green bling” status symbol, but you’re going to have to get over yourself on that one; if it makes sense it makes sense. If it saves gas, it saves gas, and even if it doesn’t work out to save money in the long run (I said IF, we haven’t seen any numbers, and who knows what gas prices will do) if you have the money, it still makes sense politically and environmentally to use less gas.

By: JDinFL

JDinFL — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:51:40 +0000

Why only solar panels on the roof? Why not on the trunk and hood also? Capture electricity when one applies the brakes. And, if I live in Florida and work 10-12 or longer hour days, why can’t my car recharge in the parking lot all day? It doesn’t even have to be a full charge. If a 12 or 13 hour charge from panels only gives me 10 miles, then maybe I plug in once a week instead of every night. Maybe extra panels that fit inside the back and front windows to block the Sun and add extra to the charge? I can use these to keep the heat out of the car and remove them to drive home. If a piece of cardboard works, why not get some juice out of one?

All of the above beat using coal or gas to generate electricity.

By: Tagamet

Tagamet — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:10:20 +0000

Jackkeats.
“Say, can I get a pedal option on a Prius? I can use it during rush hour traffic jams to
1: excercise,
2: charge the battery,
3: power my AC, radio, wireless internet device/laptop, run the fridge (for that cold Avion),
4:charge my cell phone, or
5: any thing else I can think of with up to an extra 100 watts.
Comon guys, it’s greeeenn…”

Sounds like a little ECST could be an option (g).
Be well,
Tag
PS ECS=Electro-convulsive Shock Treatment.

By: jackkeats

jackkeats — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:33:09 +0000

Say, can I get a pedal option on a Prius? I can use it during rush hour traffic jams to
1: excercise,
2: charge the battery,
3: power my AC, radio, wireless internet device/laptop, run the fridge (for that cold Avion),
4:charge my cell phone, or
5: any thing else I can think of with up to an extra 100 watts.
Comon guys, it’s greeeenn…

By: Jason The Saj

Jason The Saj — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:09:54 +0000

Not a gimmick, it’s an idea I’ve argued for, for years…

You leave work and get into your car. It’s now like 120 degrees inside. So you roll down the windows and blast the air conditioning until the vehicle is cool.

Versus…

You walk out and a solar panel has been running a small blower fan to blow out the super-heated air. Or a larger unit has continuously run the air conditioner.

Mind you, I just had a recent use of this sort of thing. Driving cross country in my Prius. We’d take a couple one to three hour naps. However, it was hot! So we’d leave the Prius running with the air conditioning for 2-3 hours.

Guess what, the Prius kept the car interior cool. Periodically activating the air conditioner. And occaisionally it would turn on the engine to re-charge. This is not something I could have done in an normal car. I’d have had to have the engine running (using up lots of gas and emitting lots of CO2) the entire time in order to run the air conditioning. Or I’d have turned it off and sweated like a pig.

So I see the potential for such a concept as quite real. Albeit, not fully realized yet by most proponents and opponents alike.

- The Saj