China’s Hanergy showcases 4 models of 100% solar cars

Chinese solar major Hanergy Holding Group Ltd on Saturday launched four new vehicles, which run entirely on electricity generated from thin-film photovoltaic (PV) panels.

The debutant solar cars were presented at the Disruptive Innovations Drive the Future event held outside the company’s headquarters in Beijing. During the ceremony, Hanergy also signed a framework agreement with domestic sector player Foton Motor Co Ltd to jointly develop clean energy buses.

Apart from Hanergy's gallium arsenide (GaAs) dual-junction solar cells with a 31.6% conversion efficiency, the zero-emission vehicles are equipped with a number of precise control and managing systems, including for photoelectric conversion, energy storage and intelligent control. With five to six hours of sunlight, the cars can generate between 8 kWh-10 kWh per day, enabling them to travel about 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) on a daily basis or more than 20,000 kilometers in annual terms.

The cars are virtually independent from charging posts during medium and short distance journeys, the manufacturer explained. In times of weak sunlight or long-distance travels, the lithium batteries in the vehicles can be charged additionally in order for them to travel as much as 350 kilometers.

The four models -- Hanergy Solar R, Hanergy Solar O, Hanergy Solar L and Hanergy Solar A -- are the first 100% thin-film solar power vehicles that can be commercialised, according to a press statement on Monday.

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