Hyundai and Kia to unveil game changing roof-mounted solar panels

As we inch ever closer to permanent, irreparable environmental damage, countries and corporations are making a dedicated effort in their collective capacity to fight carbon emissions and contain global warming. The Paris Climate Agreement galvanized nations to implement measures to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The market for solar panels and electric vehicles has grown at an exponential rate all over the globe. Reflecting this demand, Korean automotive giants Hyundai and Kia motors have disclosed plans to roll out their very own roof-mounted solar panels that would provide additional electricity and improve fuel efficiency in the process.

Furthermore, the solar panels will be compatible not only with electric cars but also with hybrid cars and those with the conventional internal combustion (IC) engines. The solar panel system comes in three models, with the first two exclusively applicable to hybrid and fossil fuel based cars. The entire solar charging system compromises of an array of solar panels, a battery, and controller. The battery stores the energy produced by the panels and the controllers manage the voltage and current generated to optimize the usage of electricity. All of this would go a long way in conserving energy and improving mileage.

It is high time that automakers adopt such an approach and standardize such measures in a struggle against rising global CO2 levels.