Sign up for the weekly Automotive News Mobility Report newsletter for the latest developments at the intersection of transportation and technology.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The Fisker solar roof, developed with Germany\u2019s Webasto Group, could deliver up to 1,500 miles per year of charge to the vehicle\u2019s high-voltage battery, in locations where sunny days were more common than cloudy ones. Fisker went out of business in 2024.<\/p>\n
In ideal conditions, the roof on the Sonata Hybrid Limited was good for about four extra miles a day. Early versions of the technology on the Prius could only support in-vehicle functions, such as cabin ventilation. But the most recent solar roof application, available only on the 2025 Prius XSE Premium trim for $610 extra, matches the Sonata\u2019s capability.<\/p>\n
Driving daily and parking in sunlight with such a system adds 1,400 to 1,500 miles of range a year. That\u2019s a big step up from a decade ago when solar panels powered small fans rather than increased range.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean companies have abandoned the concept. Rather, they are reassessing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSolar technology is not inexpensive,\u201d said Cooper Ericksen, senior vice president of product, battery-electric vehicles and mobility planning and strategy for Toyota North America.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is amazing, but customers expect more out of it,\u201d Ericksen said. \u201cIt\u2019s a technology we\u2019re continuing to study. If you can get five to 10 free miles from the feature, it doesn\u2019t take long to pay off for the consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/button><\/div>\nA solar roof panel is an option for the top trim of the plug-in version of the 2025 Toyota Prius.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While solar roofs are appealing, panoramic moonroofs tend to be more popular, Ericksen said. Incorporating solar capabilities into paint, moving them from the roof to the vehicle\u2019s body to increase surface area and bolster power generation, might be a future advancement, he said. A payoff time of two to three years for a solar feature would move the needle for cost-sensitive consumers.<\/p>\n
Hyundai phased out solar roofs for U.S. vehicles<\/h2>\n Hyundai has offered the feature with the Sonata Hybrid Limited, as well as a version of the Ioniq 5 EV sold outside the U.S., but discontinued it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the technology modestly improved driving range and has since appeared on other Hyundai models globally, it was eventually phased out,\u201d the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s another issue, Ericksen said. For solar features to offer any meaningful payback for customers, vehicles have to spend significant idle time parked in the sun. This doesn\u2019t always match up with the way that most EV owners, in particular, treat their cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile solar has a bit of sizzle, people who buy EVs are keeping them in their garages and charging them, not leaving them parked in the sun all day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fisker intended its SolarSky solar roof to prove that the feature would be worth enhancing for subsequent vehicles, as technology advanced and generated more usable power. But it didn\u2019t come cheap. Of the three initial trims, only the apex-level Ocean Extreme, priced at $68,000 when it first went on sale, had the option.<\/p>\n
Enthusiasm for solar roof panels<\/h2>\n Nonetheless, Jan Henning Mehlfeldt, a member of the management board at Webasto, said he remains enthusiastic about solar as a useful addition to the next generation of automobiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s very high interest in the technology, and the roof is the perfect place for it,\u201d he said, referring to Toyota. \u201cIt\u2019s a statement. But there is still a discussion of what\u2019s in it for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maximilian Hofbeck, Webasto\u2019s director of product management, said a large roof surface is a playground for the firm, which is focused on roofs as a supplier and has been working on solar applications since the 1980s. It developed technology that appeared on the Audi A8 in the late 1990s.<\/p>\n
The amount of power captured by solar roofs is also improving. Hofbeck said Fisker\u2019s solar roof achieved slightly better than 23 percent efficiency at capturing and transferring energy to the battery, and that Webasto could increase that to as much as 27 percent.<\/p>\n
European automakers are the main drivers of demand for the technology, Hofbeck said. But he said that since last year, there has been rising interest outside Europe, especially in China.<\/p>\n
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And while Mehlfedlt said Europe is the center of gravity for solar features, he didn\u2019t discount the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a strong believer that the market is stable,\u201d he said, acknowledging that tariffs have complicated the outlook but expressing optimism about Webasto\u2019s opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very confident that the next decade will be a good one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n