solar roof
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Tesla's share of home solar has been sliding ever since its acquisition of SolarCity. Will the Solar Roof turn the trend around?
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Hyundai and Kia reveal solar roof tech for electric cars—or gasoline ones
As solar cells get more efficient, powerful panels can fit on smaller areas. For those looking to use renewable energy for transportation, that means solar panels can now move from home rooftops used to power car chargers to cars themselves. In Korea on Wednesday, Hyundai and Kia revealed some...
Bengt Halvorson -
What maker offers electric cars, plus solar panels and energy storage, beside Tesla?
While Tesla may be the automaker most known for marketing home-solar equipment, it's actually not the only player on the block. Japanese automaker Nissan previously offered home-energy storage solutions in Europe, dubbed Nissan xStorage, that utilized cells recycled from Nissan Leaf batteries...
Mark Stevenson -
Transparent solar cells to let Audi capture energy from glass roofs
Solar energy has long generated electricity both on building roofs and in huge "solar farms" for utility companies, but only a few cars have had solar panels on their bodies. Solar roofs aren't a new concept, but Audi and Alta Devices' solution would be the most transparent photovoltaic solar roof...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla solar roofs can now be preordered; CA installations start in June
Elon Musk, habitually behind schedule, announced on May 10 that anyone can now preorder a Tesla Solar Roof—a roof made of shingles with built-in solar cells. Musk had previously said preorders would open in April, and promised the product would cost less than a conventional roof if you factor...
VentureBeat's GreenBeat -
Mercedes launches home energy-storage battery, echoing Tesla
As Tesla regularly points out, the lithium-ion battery cells used in electric cars can also serve in home energy-storage units. Now, a Daimler company will go up against Tesla in that field under the branding of its most famous luxury-car make. Mercedes-Benz Energy announced yesterday that it is...
Zach Bowman -
Late last week, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk held a press conference whose underlying message was support for the proposed combination of Tesla with solar installer SolarCity. Musk's cousin Lyndon Rive runs SolarCity and Musk sits on its board, but the proposed acquisition has been criticized by analysts as a distraction for the electric car company, and financially disadvantageous. Nonetheless, Musk rolled out a Tesla Powerwall 2.0 home energy-storage battery and described how it would interact with a new product from SolarCity. DON'T MISS: Germans coming for Tesla, so now it's 'interesting'...
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Immortus Electric-Car Concept Claims Solar Running Up To 35 MPH
An Australian company plans to put a solar-electric car into limited production.
Stephen Edelstein -
Classic 1966 VW Bus With Green Drivetrain: Solar-Powered Electric Motor
A Boston-area executive converts a classic Volkswagen to solar power.
Stephen Edelstein -
Oklahoma Adds Fee For Homes To Connect Solar, Wind Power To Grid
Renewable-energy advocates have cranked up the outrage machine at a surcharge imposed by Oklahoma on homes that connect rooftop solar panels or wind-turbine generators to the grid. Ten days ago, the Oklahoma House passed S.B. 1455 without debate, and Governor Mary Fallin is expected to sign it. The...
John Voelcker -
Via Electric Pickup Outdoes Solar Roofs With Solar Tonneau Cover
Via Motors will offer what could be the ultimate accessory for its extended-range electric truck: a solar bed cover.
Stephen Edelstein -
Spray-On Solar Cells Show Promise For Cheaper Sun Power
Spray-on solar cells could make solar panels easier to manufacture and install.
Stephen Edelstein -
When it comes to service costs and fuel, everyone knows that electric cars are far cheaper to run than gasoline cars. Even with a plug-in car, however, you still have to pay your local utility company for the electricity used to charge it. Like gas prices, electricity prices are on a steady, upward rise in many places, meaning the cost of charging your electric car will gradually go up. But what if you could charge your car from photovoltaic solar panels fitted to the roof of your home? Investing in solar panels on the roof of your home isn’t cheap, but now a new online tool from...
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GE Becomes Solar-Powered Electric Car Charging Station Champion
Yesterday, GE Industrial Solutions announced the latest in a line of solar-powered initiatives and partnerships designed to help electric car owners power their cars with solar power: a distribution agreement with photovoltaic solar power specialist REC Solar. The agreement, which will see REC...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Can An Electric Car Cut Solar Panel Payback Time? Yes, But...
If you’re a homeowner with a suitable home and enough money to invest in a set of photovoltaic solar panels for your roof, you can easily power your home cheaply and cleanly. But while some states offer Feed In Tariff (FIT) schemes to let you sell back any excess power your solar panels...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Sun Shines on GM’s New Solar Panels at Chevy Volt Factory
You hardly need us to tell you that there’s been an ongoing race to become the king of plug-in vehicles between Nissan and General Motors ever since the two firms launched their 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt. But with both cars battling it out on the forecourt both firms can worry...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Could Your Car's Tinted Windows Collect Solar Energy?
Back in the day, having a car with solar panels on it meant you were driving around in something that probably looked as weird as 2006’s Venturi Eclectic concept. However, today, thanks to companies like Norway’s EnSol, virtually any car could be fitted with solar panels and you wouldn’t even...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ask AAP: Is Sunroof Available on 2010 Prius V Trim Level?
Our reader Javier M writes: I'm 99 percent convinced I want a Prius. However, there is one question: Does the "Prius V Model" come with a regular sunroof standard (within the $28,875 price)? I want to purchase the "basic" Prius V, but I do not wish to get any major upgrades (no navigation, etc)...
John Voelcker -
By now, anyone who's shopping for a 2010 Toyota Prius knows that Toyota's newest hybrid is a smash hit. Global demand is high, the company is making as many cars as it can get battery packs for, and the US Cash-for-Clunkers program has boosted sales of the new hybrid even above already-high demand for the redesigned 2010 model. But the company got caught off-guard in another way, too: The solar moonroof option has been far more popular than Toyota expected, and buyers have ordered it at rates much higher than the company had imagined. Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, told last...