Nissan to Use Solar Charging for Batteries

When you see dozens of new cars lined up at a car dealership, do you ever wonder how long they sit around? Well, dealers certainly know, as they often find a new car’s battery completely drained because it’s been sitting idle for too long. Nissan is fixing that problem by shipping solar-powered battery chargers in all of its new cars and trucks. These will not be sold with the car to customers but will be reused at the dealership level.

The idea is that one charger can prevent dozens of expensive car batteries from having to be replaced.

This makes a lot of sense because cars on lots, well, sit on lots, outside, exposed to sunlight. Rumor has it Toyota is thinking of using similar solar chargers to power the air conditioning and electronics in its next-generation Prius. Some of the chargers sold to consumers only cost $50, so we’re wondering why manufacturers haven’t thought of adding them before. Especially on dashboards or the shelf behind the rear seats.

Nissans to use ICP Solar battery chargers (CNet)