A great way to reduce carbon footprint is solar power for cars. There are many manufacturers that sell hybrid cars and cars with solar panels. The Lightyear 0 is an example of a car with solar panels and hybrid systems. Other models include the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Maruti Suzuki, and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
Lightyear 0
The Lightyear 0 car with solar power has been in development for a number of years. However, it's still a long way from being ready for the streets. This car is similar in design to the Tesla Model 0, but with notable differences. Despite being smaller than the Model 0's battery, it's still much more powerful thanks to its aerodynamic design.
The Lightyear 0 solar car offers a remarkable range of up to 388 miles. It can also reduce your time waiting at the station. Lightyear claims that, in a sunny climate, a driver can go up to seven months without needing to plug in their car. In cloudy climates, charging would be required after two months.
Sono Motors
Sono Motors was founded in a Munich garage 10 years ago. The company had the idea to use solar power to power cars. The company recognized that solar power could be used to help speed up the adoption of electric vehicles. The majority of people in Germany rent apartments and are often unable to plug in their cars to recharge. Solar panels on a car can significantly increase the range.
Sono Motors produced the Sion Solar Car as one of its first solar cars. This hybrid battery-electric vehicle makes use of solar cells to produce electricity, and extend the battery's life. Sono Motors' high-tech design is not yet ready for delivery.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
You can make your Sonata Hybrid eco-friendly by installing a solar roof. Hyundai is not among the first to make use of this new technology. Toyota first installed solar panels on the roof for its Prius in 2012. Unfortunately, the solar roof was not very successful and only compensated for secondary power requirements. It also did not increase range.
The solar panels on the roof of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid are extremely efficient, delivering up to 22.8% of the car's power requirements. This is significantly more than the standard rooftop solar panel that achieves a rate only of 1519%. However, the panels' efficiency can be affected by external conditions. Dead leaves or tarnished roofs, for example, can decrease production by up to 310%.
Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki is a strong proponent of renewable energies. The company's new solar power plant at Manesar shows its commitment to the environment. In 2014, a 1MW solar plant was established there. Later, it was expanded to 1.3MW. The new plant will generate more than 63,000 watts of solar energy annually. This is enough power to power Maruti Suzuki's manufacturing facilities.
For Maruti Suzuki's manufacturing plant in Gurugram (India), solar power will replace fossil fuels. The carmaker plans to install carport style photovoltaic solar panels to provide energy for the facility. The solar panels will produce clean electricity and protect the cars that are parked there from harsh climatic conditions. The company currently relies on grid power as well as a captive, natural gas-based power plant to supply the manufacturing requirements of its Gurugram facility.