Hyundai and Kia cars to get solar roof panels

Kia and Hyundai cars will be optionally available with solar panels on the roof and bonnet from 2019, as the company seeks to find new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of its new car fleet.

In Australia, where cars are often parked outdoors in the sun, they could now be generating electricity and recharging battery power.

This is not the first time solar panels have been used on the roof of a car. Previous and current Toyota Prius models have taken advantage of photo-voltaic panels. And the Mazda 929 from the early 1990s pioneered the use of roof-mounted photo-voltaic cells, powering fans to keep the cabin cool when the vehicle was left standing.

The latest generation Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid (not offered in Australia) has optional solar roof panels that can extend EV range by 10 per cent. Hyundai says its tech will do 60 per cent.

Indeed, on a sunny summer day Hyundai says a plug-in hybrid can regenerate up to 60 per cent battery charge and about 30 per cent in winter.

It's not clear which vehicles will be optional with the solar roof recharge technology (it appears to be a sedan in one of the images) but the Korean car makers say the solar tech is compatible with EVs, hybrids and even cars with regular combustion engines.

Kia and Hyundai have not revealed the estimated reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel usage the solar systems will bring.

The passive recharging technology could be effective for Australian customers whose cars are parked outside. But the burning question is how affordable the solar panels are - will customers pay thousands for the privilege?

Bill Thomas, Hyundai Australia's PR general manager, said it was too early to talk about potential pricing or availability but said the local importer "…always looks at this sort of tech," and added "it makes sense here in Australia given the amount of sunlight we have.

"We do it with houses, why not with cars?"

Three different types of solar roof charging systems are being developed and tested by the Korean company, the first-generation is silicon-based, while the second-generation is 'semi-transparent' that would work with glass sunroofs.

The third-generation has been dubbed a 'lightweight solar-lid' that would cover the roof and bonnet. All three systems comprise solar panels, a battery and a control module.

Hyundai already has the Nexo hydrogen car in Australia, and the Ioniq hybrid and EV cars are coming soon. The solar panel option for its cars is a logical next-step for a company that wants to be seen as an innovator, stated Thomas.

"We're in the eco vehicle game. We're here to be leaders, and that's one example."

Emissions regulations across Europe will hit top gear in 2020 and although the Australian government has not yet outlined its targets, Hyundai's chief of engineering design, Jeong-Gil Park, said the new technology will do more than just meet legal requirements.

"The paradigm of the vehicle owner will shift from that of a consumer to an energy prosumer [sic]," he said.

Hyundai promises to launch the solar roof recharge tech to market in 2019 and the brand may release more information, such as emissions reductions, at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show or CES.

"Currently we don't have light vehicle emissions regulations but we will soon, when the federal government makes an announcement. We don’t know what they will be but we know they're pending," said Thomas.

"So anything that reduces fleet emissions is a good thing and this is useful technology. If your car is sitting in the sun for half an hour, why not use that free energy?"