Nissan made a nifty photo voltaic panel ...

As we have seen with Toyota’s Prius Prime, placing a photo voltaic panel on a automotive’s roof is a nifty concept however can solely achieve you a couple of free miles a day because of the restricted dimension. With a brand new prototype of its hyper-popular Sakura “kei” EV, Nissan has the reply: an even bigger photo voltaic panel roof referred to as the AO-Solar Extender. When totally stretched out on a sunny day, it may possibly add about 1,864 miles of driving distance a 12 months and energy a number of equipment.

The panel works whether or not you are driving or parked. When prolonged (in “photo voltaic pompadour” mode as my colleague put it), it generates 500 watts on sunny days. On the identical time, it helps block daylight from the windshield, “decreasing cabin temperature and decreasing the necessity for air con energy consumption,” Nissan famous.

When retracted in driving mode, it nonetheless pumps out 300 watts within the solar (80 watts within the rain), fairly a bit greater than the 185 watts max generated by the Prius Prime’s photo voltaic roof. And should you’re anxious about aerodynamics, Nissan mentioned the roof is designed to reduce drag and combine properly with the Sakura’s design.

It is not only a enjoyable train, as Nissan mentioned it is planning to launch the AO-Photo voltaic Extender commercially, with particulars to observe at a later date. It might be a helpful accent on the Sakura, which has been Japan’s hottest EV since 2022 due to its “ample” vary, cute kei appears to be like and spacious inside. The automaker will present it off on the Japan Mobility Show beginning on October 30, 2025.