According to the Associated Press, the futuristic car is years away
from reaching the market but is expected to get some of its power from
solar cells placed on the vehicle and the rest from solar panels on the
rooftop of the home where the car is parked.
At its factory in Japan, Toyota has already been using rooftop solar
panels to produce enough electricity to power 500 homes. The system
cuts 740 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions off Toyota’s carbon
footprint annually.
To further the rumours, Toyota’s partner in developing and producing
hybrid batteries – Panasonic Corp – is scheduled to complete a takeover
of Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co, a leader in solar energy, next
year. That is expected to heighten Toyota’s strength in producing solar
cars.
Furthermore, the green car manufacturer of the year, according to
voters at TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk, has begun experimenting with solar
panels on top of a ship carrier for auto exports.