Nissan presents mini electric vehicle with expandable solar roof

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Japanese car maker announced it will show a prototype extendable solar PV rooftop onboard a Nissan Sakura Kei at an upcoming mobility industry event in Japan.</span></p><p>Japan’s <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/03/21/australian-startup-using-second-life-nissan-leaf-ev-battery-packs-for-storage/">Nissan Motor Corporation</a> announced it will show a prototype solar PV-equipped version of its Sakura Kei electric vehicle (EV) at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show 2025.</p>
<p>The Sakura, which measures 3.4 m x 1.5 m with a top speed of 80 km/h, was a top-selling EV in Japan for the three consecutive fiscal years <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/05/20/the-mobility-revolution-nissan-mitsubishi-launch-mini-evs-for-japan/">after its launch in 2022,</a> according to the company.</p>
<p>Dubbed Ao-Solar Extender, the roof-mounted vehicle integrated PV (VIPV) concept has a fixed 300 W component and a 200 W component that stows away for driving to generate in the extended position a total of 500 W, according to the company.</p>
<p>The VIPV unit, which was developed in-house, is designed to minimize drag and to generate energy whether the car is driving or parked. Its target weight is 30 kg and made with standard monocrystalline silicon solar cells, a company spokesperson told <strong>pv magazine.</strong> </p>
<p>The current design has glass packaging, but other “suitable materials” may eventually be considered to reduce weight, according to the spokesperson. No further details were disclosed.</p>
<p>The Ao-Solar Extender could potentially provide 3,000 km of additional annual driving range, depending on sunlight conditions and driver behavior.</p>
<p>“Analysis of driving data from Sakura owners shows that many primarily travel short distances for errands and school runs, suggesting that solar-generated power could nearly eliminate the need for grid-based charging for a significant portion of owners,” said the company in a statement, noting that the VIPV could also serve as an emergency power source during disasters.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Ao-Solar Extender system concept originated within Nissan’s 2021 internal idea contest and is planned for future commercial launch. The timing will be announced at a later date,&#8221; said the company.</p>
<p>A similar extending solar array solution was launched by U.S. startup <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/10/expandable-solar-roof-rack-adds-1-kw-of-off-grid-charging-for-evs/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DartSolar a year ago</a>, <span>as reported by <strong>pv magazine</strong></span>. Its solar roof rack reportedly fits a variety of vehicle sizes and types, providing <span>360 W fixed capacity, expandable to 1000 W within 15 seconds.</span></p>
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