Your Guide to a Solar-Powered Car & How It Works

Electric vehicles are here to stay. In fact, over 17 million EVs were sold in 2024, making up around 20% of all new car sales. But there’s another exciting trend growing alongside them: solar-powered EVs.

In 2023, the global market for solar cars was valued at approximately $460 million, and it’s expected to grow to over $2.5 billion by 2032. That’s a clear sign that clean is gaining momentum. Let’s explore this topic to determine whether solar cars are actually the future of the automotive industry.

What Is a Solar Car?

A solar-powered car is exactly what it sounds like: a vehicle that runs on sunlight. It has solar panels built into its surface (usually, on the roof or hood) to capture the Sun’s energy.

Electricity charges a battery that stores the energy for later use. Because it doesn’t burn fuel, a solar car produces zero emissions, making it an incredibly clean way to get around. With them, you no longer need to seek a solar charging station, since it’s already on top of your vehicle.

How Do Solar Cars Work?

Solar-powered vehicles harness the power of the Sun to drive electric motors and move the vehicle forward. Just like any off-grid solar system, it consists of panels, a controller, a small inverter, and batteries. Here is how it works in detail:

1. Solar panels: They are mounted on the car’s exterior, on the roof and hood. Solar panels to charge an electric car absorb the Sun’s rays and convert them into direct current (DC).
2. Charge controller: This device regulates the electricity flow from the panels to the battery, preventing overcharging.
3. Battery pack: The generated energy is stored for later usage. Typically, batteries use a chain of chemical reactions to convert DC into stored power.
4. Electric motor: Just like any EV, a car’s motor uses energy stored in batteries to turn the wheels.
5. Power management system: It controls the amount of energy drawn from the solar panel on the car or battery.

A solar-powered car converts sunlight into electricity, stores that energy in batteries, and uses it to power an electric motor. With no fuel tank or tailpipe, they offer a clean, efficient, and futuristic way to travel, though current technology still limits their widespread everyday use.

What Solar Cars Are Available to Consumers?

While fully solar-powered cars are still rare on the commercial market, there are already a few companies that are pushing boundaries and bringing solar-integrated vehicles closer to everyday use. These cars aren’t powered only by the Sun, but they use solar panels to extend range, reduce charging frequency, or support key functions.

Aptera 

Aptera is a futuristic, three-wheeled EV with a solar roof inspired by aerospace engineering. Unlike traditional electric cars, the Aptera features integrated panels that can deliver up to 40 miles of driving per day purely from sunlight. Often, that’s enough for many people’s daily commutes without ever plugging in.

The full battery range of this electric car with solar panels on the roof stretches up to 400 miles, exceeding many EVs on the market. Inside, the Aptera is minimalistic but modern, featuring smart controls and sustainable materials. It’s currently available for pre-order and is aimed at environmentally conscious drivers seeking an ultra-efficient, off-grid mobility option.

Squad Solar City Car

The Squad Solar City Car is a compact, two-seater car with a solar panel roof designed in the Netherlands with affordability and urban practicality in mind. It’s a small car that is only 6.5 feet long and 4 feet wide. It suits any road: from a busy Manhattan street to an Italian mountain road on vacation.

This solar electric car features a sleek aluminum roll‑cage chassis, full crash protection, and swappable lithium‑ion battery modules that deliver up to 65 miles of driving range. Mounted on the roof, its solar panel generates around 15 miles per day of supplemental range.

Classified as an L6e quadricycle in Europe (or LSV in the U.S.), it has a top speed of 28 mph and can be driven with just a moped permit. Some European countries allow teens aged 14 and above to drive. 

Astrum

Astrum is the University of Michigan’s ultra-streamlined entry into the world’s toughest solar challenge, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Although it’s not intended for general use, this solar-powered car is a great example of modern green technology.

With a sleek, bullet-shaped carbon-fiber monocoque and just three wheels, Astrum is optimized to minimize air drag, achieving aerodynamic resistance comparable to a car’s side-view mirror.

Its expanded 40 sq ft solar array generates enough power in a day for a short trip to work and back. Weighing only around 320 lbs, Astrum is light enough to cruise at up to 80 mph while consuming less energy than a household toaster.

Pros and Cons of Solar Cars

A solar-powered car is the vehicle that promises a cleaner, more self-sufficient future, but like any new technology, it comes with trade-offs. So, let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of this choice.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Zero emissions while driving	Limited energy generation due to the small surface area of the solar-powered car
Lower operating costs since you can partially charge your car with the sun	Weather-dependent, with reduced efficiency in clouds and shade
Energy independence, since there is less need to plug in	High initial cost due to solar panel integration
Quiet and low-maintenance operation	Fragile panel surfaces may be prone to damage
Perfect for short daily commutes	Still not widely available, there are only a few models available for pre-ordering

The Future of Solar Cars

Solar vehicles have long been a symbol of a sustainable future, and although they’re still in the early stages of real-world adoption, we are already seeing the first positive signs. We can already see how major car manufacturers allow mobile panels to be connected to their cars.

There are a lot of craftsmen who mount a car roof solar panel onto their electric vehicles. So, solar-assisted cars are steadily evolving from niche prototypes into practical solutions.

In the next few years, we will see even better panel efficiency due to next-gen photovoltaic technologies, such as perovskite and multi-junction cells, which could dramatically increase how much a solar-powered car can convert into usable energy even in partial shade or cloudy conditions. We will see flexible solar panels that will be easy to integrate into any vehicle.

Companies like Aptera, Lightyear, and Squad are just the beginning. We expect even more cars with solar panels. At first, those panels will power just auxiliary systems, but as time goes on, we will see more and more cars where solar panels add electricity to the driving range.

Wrapping Up: The Bright Future Is Here

Solar panel cars represent one of the most exciting frontiers in sustainable transportation. Only a few years ago, they were merely a fantasy, but now they are slowly becoming a reality, closer and closer to daily usage. While they aren’t yet ready to replace traditional electric vehicles for most drivers, there are already solar solutions that can power a car radio.

Still, we need to overcome challenges such as limited surface area, weather dependency, and high cost of new-gen panels. But once we pass them, an electric car with solar panels on the roof becomes as common as the generic EV.

Explore the solar options in Chicago and get a free solar quote today!

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