A car running on empty isn't impossible if Toyota gets its way

TOKYO - Put together the best solar panels money can buy, super-efficient batteries and decades of car-making know-how and, theoretically, a vehicle might run forever.

Even if fully electric cars overtake petroleum-powered vehicles in sales, they still need to be plugged in, which means building a network of charging stations across the globe. The sun, on the other hand, shines everywhere for free, and when that energy is paired with enough battery capacity to propel automobiles at night, solar-powered cars could leapfrog all the new-energy technologies being developed, from plug-in hybrids to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, in one fell swoop.

A Prius plug-in hybrid that sells for more than 3 million yen offers solar panels as an option, but they only charge the battery when parked. The maximum amount of power for driving only lasts about 6 km, said Mitsuhiro Yamazaki, director at the solar energy systems division of NEDO. Because the solar cell being used by Toyota, Sharp and NEDO is only about 0.03 mm thick, it can be placed on more surfaces, including the curvy parts of the roof, hood and hatchback. The electrical system can charge the vehicle even when it's on the move.

China has also explored efforts to tap the sun for transportation purposes. China tested an"intelligent highway" that buries solar panels, mapping sensors and electric-battery rechargers under transparent concrete, with the photovoltaic cells generating enough electricity to power highway lights and 800 homes.

While the car's greatest potential markets will be sunny climes, such as California and western China, NEDO will evaluate whether it's also suitable for cities such as Tokyo, a key assessment for deciding whether to mass produce the vehicle, Makino said. The current trial is scheduled to run through March.

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