Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Feed Link: https://www.engadget.com/
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Title: Nissan made a nifty solar panel system for its Sakura EV

Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:12:35 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/n...

As we've seen with Toyota's Prius Prime, putting a solar panel on a car's
roof is a nifty idea but can only gain you a few free miles a day due to the
limited size. With a new prototype of its hyper-popular Sakura "kei" EV,
Nissan has the answer: a bigger solar panel roof called the AO-Solar
Extender. When fully stretched out on a sunny day, it can add about 1,864
miles of driving distance a year and power multiple accessories.

The panel works whether you're driving or parked. When extended (in "solar
pompadour" mode as my colleague put it), it generates 500 watts on sunny
days. At the same time, it helps block sunlight from the windshield,
"reducing cabin temperature and lowering the need for air conditioning power
consumption," Nissan noted.

NISSAN DESIGN

When retracted in driving mode, it still pumps out 300 watts in the sun (80
watts in the rain), quite a bit more than the 185 watts max generated by the
Prius Prime's solar roof. And if you're worried about aerodynamics, Nissan
said the roof is designed to minimize drag and integrate well with the
Sakura's design.

It's not just a fun exercise, as Nissan said it's planning to launch the AO-
Solar Extender commercially, with details to follow at a later date. It could
be a useful accessory on the Sakura, which has been Japan's most popular EV
since 2022 thanks to its "sufficient" range, cute kei looks and spacious
interior. The automaker will show it off at the Japan Mobility Show starting
on October 30, 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/n...
system-for-its-sakura-ev-061235566.html?src=rss

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