Toyota Developing Solar-Powered Recharging Station For EVs

toyota_prius_chargingbay_01
Dec 30, 2009
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ONE OF THE MOST oft-cited criticisms of all-electric cars is that they indirectly pollute when charged using power generated from the burning of fossil fuels.

It's one of the main barriers to the widespread uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), especially in countries like Australia where most mains power is sourced from coal-burning power stations. However, Toyota believes it may have the answer.

The Japanese company has been busy working on solar-powered recharging bays for EVs, and will commence trials of the system in its hometown of Toyota City in April 2010.

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Featuring enough room for three electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles (principally the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid), the roof of each charging station is formed by a large solar array. Charging output under solar power alone is limited to 1.5kW at 100 volts, but that rises to 3.2kW when connected to the local 200v power grid.

An 8.4 kWh auxillary battery stores any excess energy generated by the solar panels, and power can be fed back into the grid if the battery is full and no vehicles are being charged.

A total of 21 charging stations will be installed at 11 locations around Toyota City, however there's no information on when - or if - the technology will spread beyond the borders of Toyota's home base.


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Comments

  • Mick [reply]
    8 months ago 0 points
    Good move.
  • JML [reply]
    8 months ago 0 points
    Interesting. I'm no expert on solar power, but I don't think that current tech solar cells produce enough energy to charge a plug-in vehicle efficiently and in a reasonable time frame from an exposure area as small as that pictured above. Maybe someone can correct me?
  • [reply]
    2 months ago 0 points
    I wonder, how difficult is it to 'fill up' ones car by replacing the battery. (i.e. pulling out the car battery and fitting a new one). The reason I ask: What if the charging station wasn't filling the auxiliary with excess energy but rather some spare car batteries. The car battery is simply replaced when the car arrives with an already charged one. It would get around the problem of waiting for the sun to shine.

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