Electric cars will start charging with the sun—biggest auto glass maker ready to mass-produce solar roofs

The world’s largest automotive glass manufacturer—Chinese company Fuyao Group— Confirmed Preparing for mass production of panoramic roofs with built-in photovoltaic elements. Solar cells are integrated directly into the laminated automotive glass and convert incident light into electrical energy. That’s not enough to power the engine, but it’s enough for air conditioning and other equipment.

Image source: Fuyao

The technology has moved beyond laboratory prototypes. As early as May 2024, Fuyao told investors that it had acquired the capability to mass produce such glass and could supply it according to customer requirements. The current announcement therefore represents a step towards wider commercial implementation. According to the company, the photovoltaic module is fixed in the glass structure, and the voltage and current generated at the pn junction can be used by the vehicle’s on-board power grid.

Chinese sources have previously linked Fuyao’s development to BYD, claiming the solar roof would be available as an option on Han and Tang models for about 8,000 yuan (about $1,190). It also reports a peak system power of 720 W, a photovoltaic cell efficiency of 23.18%, and uses heterojunction silicon (HJT) cells. However, these characteristics cannot yet be considered official confirmation: neither Fuyao nor BYD have released a joint technical description of the system. In meetings with investors, Fuyao also declined to disclose customers and product costs, citing commercial confidentiality.

The roof area of ​​a passenger car is too small to allow such a system to replace the mains supply for full charging, but solar roof generation may be useful for vehicle auxiliary systems. When parked, it can provide energy for interior ventilation, electronic devices and other low-power systems, reducing the discharge of the main battery.

The company isn’t the only one looking to use the EV space for solar power. So European manufacturers and individual enthusiasts around the world are working on it. It is clear that this trend will grow, for example, by offering options such as skylights. This conversion is possible on many EV models and shouldn’t be particularly difficult.