The invention with solar panels on the roof that allows your car to recharge itself

Photovoltaic solar energy is one of the most interesting renewable energy sources available to us: it is clean and very accessible, since it uses solar radiation to produce electricity. On the way to reducing polluting gases, the automobile industry has made a strong commitment to electric motors, which are increasingly present on the streets. But what would you think if you could take advantage of daylight to recharge it?

Technological advances in energy matters are rapidly reaching all sectors, thus achieving take advantage of natural resources and be more efficient. And they have landed in the world of transport in a forceful way as in the case of models such as Hyundai IONIQ 5which has two solar panels on topon the roof, which allow the car to recharge itself automatically.

This curious and practical invention, which is included as an extra in Hyundai IONIQ 5, is designed to charge up to 1,300 kilometers per year with just six hours of sunshine a day. Additionally, this system is capable of powering the vehicle’s 12-volt battery, which can improve its efficiency. In such a way that, without realizing it, drivers can take advantage of the time they are parking or driving to obtain enough electrical energy to complete a few sections of the road. And thereby saving time and money.

The objective of this technology is to “harness” the energy of sunlight and capture it through panels located on the roof of the vehicle and transform it into electrical energy. In this way, it can “supply both the high-voltage battery that moves the vehicle and assist other auxiliary electronic systems on board, such as navigation systems, screens, actuators, windows,” he explains. Xavier del Valproduct manager of Hyundai.

This 100% electric model has a range of up to 686 kilometers in the city on a single charge. If you want to take advantage of some portions of the day to train or have a coffee, the car can use an ultra-fast charging system in 18 minutes: in this time you can reach 80% of your battery thanks to IONITY chargers. In addition, with only five minutes of charging it is more than enough to travel 100 kilometers with Hyundai IONIQ 5, which may be appropriate on certain long-distance journeys. It should be noted that the type of driving of each driver can vary consumption.

“From an economic point of view, everything that involves recharging the battery without connecting it to any plug, already represents savings since you do not pay for those kWh that you have charged thanks to the sun, but what is also really interesting is that small auxiliary systems that require electrical energydo not discharge the battery and penalize the electric autonomy”, adds Del Val.

This 100% electric model has a range of up to 686 kilometers in the city on a single charge

The car is today the third living space for people. We spent many hours there, so we want to be comfortable and live a complete experience. And we enjoy, of course, moments of leisure and entertainment. Hence, it is essential to use other devices such as mobile phones or laptops. Precisely thinking about this habit, the brand has introduced a bidirectional charging system in its new model with which you can charge any electrical device with the car. By the way, with the remote charging function, drivers can start and stop charging from their smartphone app.

In this sense, the interior of the most advanced cars is designed to meet current needs. For example, thanks to the 12.3-inch screen of models such as IONIQ 5 integrated in the instrument panel, it allows you to consult a lot of information (speed, state of charge, charging station search engine or adjust the air conditioning) from your “smartphone” or through voice controls. And an important detail that is sometimes overlooked: it has a high-speed charging port located in the center console includes a function that prevents the phone from overheating.