On December 22, Toshiba announced the successful development of a new type of "transmissive cuprous oxide (Cu2O) solar cell", which can be installed directly on the roof and hood of electric vehicles, and can be charged in the sun, ideally providing 35km of cruising range for cars per day.
According to the official introduction, the transmissive copper oxide solar cell is a low-cost, high-efficiency tandem solar cell, characterized by two solar cell modules as the bottom module and the top component overlapping together, the two components together to generate electricity to improve the overall power generation efficiency. With toshiba's technology, transmissive cuprous oxide solar cells can be stacked on high-efficiency Si solar cells, increasing the overall power generation efficiency to 27.4%.
Covering the hood and roof of an electric vehicle with this new battery, assuming that the electric vehicle consumes 12.5km/kWh, it can provide a range of 35 kilometers per day by relying on the sun without charging. If more expensive solar cells are used, the overall power generation efficiency can be further improved to 30%, and a day of sun exposure can provide a car with a cruising range of 39km.
The main material of this transmissive cuprous oxide solar cell is the compound Cu2O of copper and oxygen, which is cheaper than the III-V semiconductor, and the raw materials, manufacturing equipment and substrates will be cheaper, which can greatly reduce the cost of solar cells. At the same time, the single weight of the solar cell is also relatively light, less than one kilogram per square meter, covering the car is not worried about adding too much weight, the practical value is very high.
For urban office workers, the daily commuting distance should be within 50km, the car solar energy to provide 35km endurance, coupled with the car kinetic energy recovery system, the daily commute needs of electricity is basically equal to white prostitution. Even if you commute more than 35km a day, this combination can reduce the number of car charging, and it is estimated that you can save a lot of electricity bills in a year. More critically, this is a truly green energy source.
The domestic electric vehicle industry has entered a stage of rapid development, and the cumulative sales volume this year has reached 3 million. The market penetration rate of electric vehicles is increasing, but the problem of charging difficulties has not been well solved. On the one hand, car companies are speeding up the coverage area of charging piles and charging stations, and on the other hand, they are also trying to improve the endurance of cars, but this is not something that can be done in the short term.
If new solar cells can be widely used in electric vehicles, they may be able to solve the problems currently encountered by the electric vehicle industry. Curious about the ideas of battery manufacturers such as Ningde Times and BYD, who will be the first to launch electric vehicles equipped with solar cells? Worth looking forward to.