Toyota plans to add solar panels to its next generation Prius hybrid early next year to power the vehicle’s air conditioning according to a Japanese newspaper report.
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As part of a complete design makeover, the Prius will be fitted with rooftop solar panels on its high-end models, the Nikkei economic daily said.
The newspaper noted that If it happens, Toyota would be the first major carmaker to use a solar power generation system on a mass-produced vehicle.
The Nikkei said the solar panels on the roof would supply part of the power needed for the vehicle’s air conditioning.
The carmaker plans to produce some 450,000 Priuses at home in 2009, up 60 percent from 2007, the Nikkei said.
