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Cooling The Car With The Sun?

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By Ian Rowley in Tokyo

Cooling The Car With The Sun?

Toyota’s next version of the Prius, expected to make its debut in the first half of 2009, will be lighter and more efficient than the current model, according to the automaker. But will the hybrid also tap solar power? Quoting an unnamed source at the company, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s biggest financial daily, says the new Prius will feature integrated solar panels on the roof. The panels, to be produced by Kyoto’s Kyocera, according to the report, will supply a portion of the 2kw to 5kw needed to power the car’s air conditioning. (Both Toyota and Kyocera declined to comment.) It’s not clear whether the solar panels would be standard or optional. But plenty of drivers could benefit from such a system—not least in Tokyo, where it’s not unusual to see construction workers, taxi drivers, or weary salarymen taking a break from the summer heat by napping in parked vehicles with the AC running.