Solar Paint

Imagine a car that can charge itself while you drive or even while it's parked. Mercedes-Benz is turning this dream into a reality with a revolutionary new solar paint.

​You’ve heard of speckled paint and magnetic paint right? Well why not solar?

The company has developed a special paint containing tiny photovoltaic solar cells, just five micrometers thick – that's thinner than a human hair! This innovative coating can be applied to up to 11 square meters of a vehicle's surface. Under ideal conditions, this solar paint can generate enough energy to power a car for up to a remarkable 12,000km every year.

With an impressive efficiency of 20%, the energy generated can either directly power the car's electric motor or be stored in its high-voltage battery. Even when the car is parked, the system continues to generate power, maximizing its potential. Mercedes-Benz sees this as a major advancement in extending the range of electric vehicles and reducing the need for frequent charging stops.

What's even more impressive is that this solar paint is made from non-toxic, readily available materials and doesn't contain any rare earth elements. This makes it cheaper and easier to produce compared to traditional solar panels. The coating is also incredibly lightweight, adding only 50 grams per square meter, and can be applied to any exterior surface of the vehicle, regardless of its shape or angle.

Of course, the system's effectiveness depends on sunlight. Mercedes-Benz has tested it in various conditions. They found that in a place like Stuttgart, Germany, drivers could cover about 62% of their average daily commute of 50km using solar power alone. But in sunny Australia, drivers could potentially achieve 100% solar-powered driving, with any extra energy even being fed back into their home's power grid through bidirectional charging.

​This breakthrough reflects Mercedes-Benz's commitment to creating a more sustainable and customer-focused future for driving. It's a gear change towards a world where cars can harness the power of the sun to keep us moving.

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Image credit: Mercedes-Benz