Good job! You 're the only one so far I've found who mentions solar roof, and actually shows the solar roof working! Great pick in the car, I'm buying this exact solar package model, except it's darker red. I was also a speed demon, and it's time to stop paying out money for GM poor quality, and buy cars that pay me money to drive them! I tell people this is the car you get, when you mix Knight Rider and Herbie together... "Solar Package Prius!"
Why Toyota thought this option package was worth $4,000 I'll never know. Would be worth it if it trickle-charged the hybrid battery or at least the 12v battery but it doesn't do either.
Does this solar system charge the battery fully , is it a hybrid car or fully electric car, how much Kilometer takes if you fully charged the battery .
Hi, I know I'm 4 months late and you might have gotten your answer but here's what I know. The solar panel roof does not charge the car's battery in any way. Solar is use for the ventilation system, AC, and maybe heater as well. So it keeps your car cooler and maybe might save soke more gas as the AC system runs off if adequate solar energy is available.
Dan Livni Thank you! Unfortunately the panels do not aid with charging the main battery. I wish they would as I use the EV mode frequently and it would indeed assist with higher keeping the engine off longer. It is nice to enter the car on a hot day and not have your face melted off with extreme heat. Nonetheless, I am currently achieving 55.4 MPG on my commute to work.
NVIDIAGeForce8500GT Thanks for this info. I remember reading 10 years ago about Steve Lapp who put Solar panels on the roof of his Prius and it helped alittle with MPG.
@@TheFluffyRedFox what is the real use on a hot summer day, when the air is hot in the outside? It should at least power the A/C system, otherwise pumping hot air from the outside doesn't make sense...
For the Gas Prius - Under 25 mph, you'll get about one half mile, in electric only mode. Enough to get you off the freeway in an emergency. The Solar only runs the vent fans as designed by Toyota. Nothing else. It keeps the inside of the car the same temp as outside. As opposed to 140 kid killing degrees inside. But, there are hacks on You-Tube to use the Solar Panel for other uses. It involves cutting into the wiring.
EV mode = no gas needed (so technically you can run to the store or run to get gas for your gas powered lawn toys,...always for free) ...and on the rare occasion when this car needs gas, that too!
www.treehugger.com/cars/solar-powered-toyota-prius-project.html Solar-Powered Toyota Prius Project Michael Graham Richard (@Michael_GR) Transportation / Cars August 17, 2005 Green Car Congress writes about a very cool project by Canadian engineer Steve Lapp who modified his 2001 Prius by installing solar panels on the roof. It is admitted that the car is still a rough prototype, but so far the fuel economy improvement are of 10%, a respectable figure; for reference, Honda completely redesigned the Honda Civic engine for the 2006 model and achieved a 6% increase in fuel economy (the comparison is not quite fair, but I just want to point out that it can take lots of engineering efforts to gain even a few percents). "Lapp’s modelling predicts a 10%-20% fuel efficiency improvement for the 270 watts of PV (to be bumped up to 360 watts with the additional of a fourth panel)".Here's a quote from Lapp's plan: ...the fact that [current Toyota hybrids] can run on electricity alone, with their gasoline engines off, offers the opportunity to provide them with more electricity and therefore drive further with the gasoline engine off. Electricity can be provided from the electrical grid by charging an onboard battery, and depending on where that electricity comes from, it will have various emissions associated with it. [The plug-in concept.] However if it is provided from renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels, then it is "green". This begs the question of why not put the PV panels directly on a hybrid car and generate electricity onboard while the car is parked outside, or even while driving. The general reaction of people to this idea is that there could not be enough energy striking the roof of a car to provide enough electricity to drive any meaningful distance. This is where the incredible efficiency of the hybrid car must be taken into account. To drive a hybrid car about 1 km, takes about the same electricity as to light a 150 watt bulb for one hour! The point is not to drive the car using only solar power, but to effectively use solar power to improve gasoline fuel efficiency. How much gasoline can this photovoltaic hybrid car save? Well let’s look at the energy available from the sun on the roof of the car. For June and July in Kingston Ontario, about 6 kWh of energy from the sun strikes each square meter of horizontal surface. If we install 2 square meters of photovoltaic panels on the car and we collect 10% of the energy from the sun as electricity (well within present PV efficiency), we can theoretically go about 8 km each day on just the sun’s energy. If we drive 24 km on a sunny day, that is enough to reduce our gasoline consumption by 33%. This would take the Prius from 5.0 l/100km [47 mpg] to 3.3 l/100km [71.2 mpg]. And a quote from the Green Car Congress article: The 300 VDC output of the solar subsystem is attached to the switched side of the original Prius battery, so the PV battery cannot recharge the NiMH while the ignition is off. The PV system can inject a maximum of up to 2 amps continuously into the battery while the ignition is on. [...] The decision not to charge the hybrid when the car is off was a pragmatic choice, given the financial and time constraints of his project. Among other issues, there would need to be a thorough analysis to determined the optimal PV-NiMH energy flow/charge relationship. ::The Photovoltaic Hybrid Car Project , via the always excellent ::Green Car Congress
It does keep the car less of an "oven" when sitting in the sun all day, but it's kind if a useless gimmick. All the cost and engineering that went into the solar panel option shoukd definitely give some better benefits. At least trickle charge the 12v battery, power a 12v outlet, maybe allow the radio to be played with the car off, if possible.
Circulation of air is never useless, (and the Prius A/C is instant cooling when you get in the car) ..but the real bonus here is, the fact you can rewire this solar panel to so many project applications and switches to use those applications is perfect! Plus the solar panels are built in to where you don't have external solar panels sitting around somewhere inside the car, is priceless!
Good job! You 're the only one so far I've found who mentions solar roof, and actually shows the solar roof working! Great pick in the car, I'm buying this exact solar package model, except it's darker red. I was also a speed demon, and it's time to stop paying out money for GM poor quality, and buy cars that pay me money to drive them! I tell people this is the car you get, when you mix Knight Rider and Herbie together... "Solar Package Prius!"
best car . change my mind
No, becuase you're right
Why Toyota thought this option package was worth $4,000 I'll never know. Would be worth it if it trickle-charged the hybrid battery or at least the 12v battery but it doesn't do either.
Dang I thought it ran the A/C and/or trickle charged the High volt battery 🙁
$4000, are you joking?
going to rewire mine to charge the batteries
Is it possible?
Did you ever do this? I've been wanting to do that, or at least power a 12v outlet.
Great job! Instead though, create a selection switch, so you can still use both options! One wired to the AC recirc. and one to your 12v battery!
@Mack Miguel Shut up bot
@Albert Broomhall Silence bot
what temp is it inside the car?
how much does it cost inc installation? and where to buy it from>?
Question, does the solar package include the sunroof?
Yes it does
Does this solar system charge the battery fully , is it a hybrid car or fully electric car, how much Kilometer takes if you fully charged the battery .
Hi, I know I'm 4 months late and you might have gotten your answer but here's what I know.
The solar panel roof does not charge the car's battery in any way. Solar is use for the ventilation system, AC, and maybe heater as well. So it keeps your car cooler and maybe might save soke more gas as the AC system runs off if adequate solar energy is available.
@@crispykevin5606 you might’ve been late but never late for the new comers looking for you answer so thanks.
Gorgeous looking car with solar panels at top.
The solar panels must improve Miles Per Gallon
Dan Livni Thank you! Unfortunately the panels do not aid with charging the main battery. I wish they would as I use the EV mode frequently and it would indeed assist with higher keeping the engine off longer. It is nice to enter the car on a hot day and not have your face melted off with extreme heat. Nonetheless, I am currently achieving 55.4 MPG on my commute to work.
NVIDIAGeForce8500GT
Thanks for this info. I remember reading 10 years ago about Steve Lapp who put Solar panels on the roof of his Prius and it helped alittle with MPG.
@@TheFluffyRedFox thanks for commenting
@@TheFluffyRedFox what is the real use on a hot summer day, when the air is hot in the outside? It should at least power the A/C system, otherwise pumping hot air from the outside doesn't make sense...
Thanks for the demo daddy
This particular model is extremely hard to find.
no its not
Is it true that you can drive the Solar Prius at 45 mph or slower you don't need gas?
stitch16261 no
For the Gas Prius - Under 25 mph, you'll get about one half mile, in electric only mode. Enough to get you off the freeway in an emergency.
The Solar only runs the vent fans as designed by Toyota. Nothing else. It keeps the inside of the car the same temp as outside. As opposed to 140 kid killing degrees inside.
But, there are hacks on You-Tube to use the Solar Panel for other uses. It involves cutting into the wiring.
EV mode = no gas needed (so technically you can run to the store or run to get gas for your gas powered lawn toys,...always for free) ...and on the rare occasion when this car needs gas, that too!
yes.. if you drive down hill.
@@jlgiii4749 do you have any links or info for that?
Is solar roof for ac or fan?? Can you turn solar roof on auto start once it reaches 85F outside?
I think just the fan.
I wish mine had that I have a 11 but with out the sunroof solar
www.treehugger.com/cars/solar-powered-toyota-prius-project.html
Solar-Powered Toyota Prius Project
Michael Graham Richard (@Michael_GR)
Transportation / Cars
August 17, 2005
Green Car Congress writes about a very cool project by Canadian engineer Steve Lapp who modified his 2001 Prius by installing solar panels on the roof. It is admitted that the car is still a rough prototype, but so far the fuel economy improvement are of 10%, a respectable figure; for reference, Honda completely redesigned the Honda Civic engine for the 2006 model and achieved a 6% increase in fuel economy (the comparison is not quite fair, but I just want to point out that it can take lots of engineering efforts to gain even a few percents). "Lapp’s modelling predicts a 10%-20% fuel efficiency improvement for the 270 watts of PV (to be bumped up to 360 watts with the additional of a fourth panel)".Here's a quote from Lapp's plan:
...the fact that [current Toyota hybrids] can run on electricity alone, with their gasoline engines off, offers the opportunity to provide them with more electricity and therefore drive further with the gasoline engine off.
Electricity can be provided from the electrical grid by charging an onboard battery, and depending on where that electricity comes from, it will have various emissions associated with it. [The plug-in concept.] However if it is provided from renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels, then it is "green".
This begs the question of why not put the PV panels directly on a hybrid car and generate electricity onboard while the car is parked outside, or even while driving. The general reaction of people to this idea is that there could not be enough energy striking the roof of a car to provide enough electricity to drive any meaningful distance.
This is where the incredible efficiency of the hybrid car must be taken into account. To drive a hybrid car about 1 km, takes about the same electricity as to light a 150 watt bulb for one hour! The point is not to drive the car using only solar power, but to effectively use solar power to improve gasoline fuel efficiency.
How much gasoline can this photovoltaic hybrid car save? Well let’s look at the energy available from the sun on the roof of the car. For June and July in Kingston Ontario, about 6 kWh of energy from the sun strikes each square meter of horizontal surface. If we install 2 square meters of photovoltaic panels on the car and we collect 10% of the energy from the sun as electricity (well within present PV efficiency), we can theoretically go about 8 km each day on just the sun’s energy. If we drive 24 km on a sunny day, that is enough to reduce our gasoline consumption by 33%. This would take the Prius from 5.0 l/100km [47 mpg] to 3.3 l/100km [71.2 mpg].
And a quote from the Green Car Congress article:
The 300 VDC output of the solar subsystem is attached to the switched side of the original Prius battery, so the PV battery cannot recharge the NiMH while the ignition is off. The PV system can inject a maximum of up to 2 amps continuously into the battery while the ignition is on. [...]
The decision not to charge the hybrid when the car is off was a pragmatic choice, given the financial and time constraints of his project. Among other issues, there would need to be a thorough analysis to determined the optimal PV-NiMH energy flow/charge relationship.
::The Photovoltaic Hybrid Car Project , via the always excellent ::Green Car Congress
it's not fresh air conditioned... it's normal air.... what's the benefit?
the benefit is that you have the option.
The benefit is to maintain temperature in side the car.
It does keep the car less of an "oven" when sitting in the sun all day, but it's kind if a useless gimmick. All the cost and engineering that went into the solar panel option shoukd definitely give some better benefits. At least trickle charge the 12v battery, power a 12v outlet, maybe allow the radio to be played with the car off, if possible.
where you get the radar detector?
It's a Beltronics RX-65 I got off Amazon years ago. They don't make them anymore.
I think it would be cheaper to open windows or sunroof to cool this car.
Does it charge your battery while driving?
Unfortunately not!
On the New Prius prime, yes ! 😎
You know and anyway x 100
$4000 just to blow air
in the hot weather it useless
Circulation of air is never useless, (and the Prius A/C is instant cooling when you get in the car) ..but the real bonus here is, the fact you can rewire this solar panel to so many project applications and switches to use those applications is perfect! Plus the solar panels are built in to where you don't have external solar panels sitting around somewhere inside the car, is priceless!
I like this 3rd Generation better than the new 4th.The new Prius is ugly as fuck
Hyundai makes the ioniq full electric, it's even sexier than the 3rd gen Prius.
Robert Bidochon :It's not out yet in the U.S.
+DARRYL PHILLIPS Soon.
www.hyundaiusa.com/ioniq/
Fuck you, gas bills : )
The 4th Looks goot, the OLD ohne is ugly !
I used to be a "speed demon" in a prius xD xD xD