Nissan Ariya EV gets solar panels on the roof

Nissan has unveiled the Ariya electric crossover concept with integrated solar panels. The project was developed in collaboration with Dutch solar mobility technology company Lightyear.

The Nissan Ariya EV features 3.8 m² of high-efficiency photovoltaic panels on the hood, roof and trunk. According to the results of these tests, such a system is capable of providing up to 23 km of additional range per day in favorable weather conditions.

Tests have shown that in solar cities, including Barcelona, ​​the solar installation adds an average of about 17.6 km of mileage per day. Annual averages are approximately 10.2 km in London, 18.9 km in New Delhi and 21.2 km in Dubai. Nissan estimates that the use of such technology could reduce the number of connections to the charging infrastructure by 35-65%, depending on the vehicle’s operating scenario.

As part of the test program, the Ariya with solar panels also covered a 1,550 km route from the Netherlands to Barcelona, ​​demonstrating the viability of the concept in real road conditions.

Nissan emphasizes that the presented project should show the potential for integrating solar generation into serial electric vehicles. At the same time, the company has not yet announced the launch of such technology for mass production.