Toyota’s Solar Car

Well, the air-conditioning anyway! Toyota have announced that they will be producing a version of their successful petrol/hybrid Prius with solar panels on the roof to power the air-conditioning.

It seems we are still a way-away from totally solar powered cars but this is a step in the right direction. Air-conditioning is generally powered by a car’s engine which has to use petrol to power it. The current Prius is one of the few cars to have an electric air conditioner, so not so much petrol is used. By powering the air-conditioner using solar energy there will be less drain on the electrics, less use of petrol and less Co2 emissions.

There is something nice about the idea of using the sun’s energy to keep the inside of a car cool because it has been heated up by the sun in the first place!!!

[Via Cnet.co.uk ]