Hongqi's New Solar Roof: 400 kWh a Year From Sunlight Alone
FAW Hongqi has built a new perovskite solar panoramic sunroof for its EHS7 electric SUV. The company says it can generate up to 400 kWh of electricity a year. In strong sunlight, the full-size roof puts out around 300 watts in real time.
Hongqi already sells in Nepal. The EHS4 electric crossover SUV is priced at Rs 59.99 lakh ex-showroom, and buyers can walk into a showroom and buy one today. The solar-roof EHS7 is a concept for now, but it hints at where the brand could head next.
The roof skips traditional crystalline silicon panels. Perovskite photovoltaic cells are embedded in curved glass instead, which keeps the structure thin and light enough to wrap across a panoramic roof. Hongqi says this is enough to run low-voltage systems while the car is parked. Think air conditioning, an onboard refrigerator, and sentry or security functions.
Engineers are now looking at extending these perovskite panels to other body panels, starting with the hood. If more surface area is covered, Hongqi estimates future EVs could produce around 10 kWh a day. That's enough in theory for up to 80 km of daily driving on solar power alone. No timeline for mass production has been announced yet.
Writes on vehicle pricing, taxation and the Nepali auto market from ongoing tracking of distributor price lists. Editorial policy.
