2009 Toyota Prius cooled by the sun
June 9, 2009 by George Skentzos
The crux of any electric car, or even a hybrid for that matter, is that despite the best effort of engineers to make the drivetrain as frugal as possible, inevitably the driver becomes the most inefficient part of the vehicle.
Driving habits aside, climbing into a car on a sunny day can be quite uncomfortable and usually provokes full-blast operation of the air conditioning, using up fuel and increasing emissions.
Toyota has avoided this problem with its new Prius by introducing a new solar-powered ventilation system that keeps the interior cool, with no need for the engine to be running.
Integrated solar panels on the roof are used to power the electric air circulation fan which can cool cabin temperature down from 80 to 45°C – running independently from the engine – so there is less need for the air-conditioning to be used.
While 45°C may still be considered stifling hot, the system is intended to be used in conjunction with Toyota’s world-first Remote Air Conditioning.
Using a button on the keyfob, the air-conditioning can run for up to three minutes before the car is occupied, cooling the cabin down gradually and efficiently.
Such a system could not be supported by a conventional car battery and has only been made possible thanks to the Prius’s large capacity hybrid battery.
Both systems are available as optional extras for the UK market, although considering how suitable this would be for the Australian climate it is highly likely to be offered with local models.
Print it: 
You have already posted this “news” months ago.
Another excellent Toyota infommercial.LOL
So it cools the car to about the same level as if you left 2 of the windows down 1 inch,Gimmik Tech
80 to 45? Surely this is in fahrenheit?
Anyway, anyone notice the headlights look like nissan’s new styling of headlights?
09 Prius cooled by the sun.I would be more impressed if it could be heated by ice cubes.That would help our friends in colder climates.
Look at the top picture the water near the prius has turned fungi green,just from being close to the prius,this is the same thing it does to peoples heads.
Prius ,Holden,Prius ,Holden…………….Im getting bored with the same old stories on this site.
What happened to the old CA when it was peering over fences and chasing cars up the highway for pics.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Another Prius story,ya !
On my car, and I’m sure many others, if I hold the unlock button on the remote down it opens all the windows. Works great at cooling the car when it’s been sitting in the sun. I wonder why a solar powered ventilation system is even needed.
Great technology! The Germans have utilised this for 10+ years.
or you could just buy one of these off ebay for $25… http://bit.ly/K2xPH
They really making waves about this car, but I have to agree to some of the other comments, this does get repeated a lot :(
haha I agree this was just recently posted. Maybe they are posting this over and over again so that you’ll all notice Prius and comment on it :)
Yes Toyota are making alot of noise over this car telling us how good it is compared to other cars etc… But remember they said the same thing about the TRD Aurion
As they say “You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time” that is there are always those who will see behind the smoke and mirrors etc
Given that when the article relates ot either Holden or Ford; one of the Lex-ota lovers gets on and hijacks the topic so we end up arging about Toyotas….
I wonder how long it will be before one of them gets on here and hijacks the topic so that we end up arguing about Holdens & Fords?
yes…only dinosaurs can fool bogans.grandfather’s engine?push rod engines?rust problems ,brake problems?ball joint problems?you name it..you got it.only dinnosaurs can get away with it.even don’t dare to recall.keep fixing your dinosaurs……peanut…you are the one always tried to ruin toyota’s article.very sad that this site is rule by a group of bogans.
I rather dinosaurs than jetson fairy cars,maybe you like them because they match your tutu.
Gimme gimmick Toyota!!!!!!
Lots of manufacturers have automatic windows controlled by key fobs. You open the windows before you get in, the hot air escapes. You start the car, put the air con on and PRESTO! Cool car, no over-priced, irrelevant marketing banter required.
Talk about ridiculous!
soon Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
yes…only dinosaurs can fool bogans.grandfather’s engine?push rod engines?rust problems ,brake problems?ball joint problems?you name it..you got it.only dinnosaurs can get away with it.even don’t dare to recall.keep fixing your dinosaurs……peanut…you are the one always tried to ruin toyota’s article.very sad that this site is rule by a group of bogans
……………..
Does you mother know your out of bed mate ?
^^^^^
And windows down is more effective
Whats wrong with being a dinosaur..? because let’s not forget that the crocodile and even the shark date back to the time of the dinosaur.
Overtime they have evolved and managed to survive to become one of the most feared predators of their kind out-living a number of more advanced more complex and supposedly more intelligent creatures
Sure they may be relatively simple but they do their job and they do it well – and so to do the pushrod engines.
Im not a toyota fan but i can acknowledge this is a good idea, especially in australias climate.
So now you can cool the car down via remote control does that mean they are going to rename the Prius the Daikin?
So what you stand outside whilst you wait for your car to cool down .
How far away do you have to be to make the system operational ? Then how much does it draw on the batteries in those three minutes ?
A tree works too Toyota ,more weight in your plastic crap eco friendly Prius,what a joke!
Hybrids are a joke, don’t you know the environmental impact of the manufacturer of batteries! ITS ASTRONOMICAL!!!
This is why I am going to make a fortune making a whole new range of environmentally friendly petrol powered devices. Starting with a petrol powered mobile phone, then moving onto petrol powered laptops and petrol powered watches! Anyone want in on this awesome venture?
/end sarcasm
NPFI read the story again mate!
MiloBob, its in celsius. A car cabin can get to this temperature on a 35 degree day.
In principle it sounds like a good idea. Only problem is that it must add alot of weight to the vehicle, the top being made of glass.
Actually I know the Chevy Impala can be started from outside the car so the airconditioning can run for a few minutes before you get in. The range from the key-fob means you can be walking to the car, and it will be comfortable by the time you get to it. Sure, it doesn’t just use the battery, but its still an application of the remote air-conditioning, so not sure that I can agree with the “world first” statement
I think this is a fantastic idea – and definately something I would appreciate during summer. I’m sorry, but any Toyota-related articles do really tend to highlight the non-academics among us.
You can go to Supa Cheap Auto and buy a solar powered fan that sits on top of the glass before you wind up the window to lock it in. The little solar panel runs the exhaust fan that draws the hot air out. About $30.00 should be the cost.
“…introducing a new solar-powered ventilation system…”
Forgetting the Mazda 929? It had a system of the same merit and principle.
As I mentioned the last time this was news, Mazda had this in the really nice looking 929 during the early nineties.
i fail to see how this mazda could have run the a/c compressor when its engine/belt driven…..not electric?????
“GRANDMA” NAZI it would seem to me that your highness is so sophisticated that you didn’t read any of the posts. How else could you denigrate the VALID comments of the “alleged” non-academics?
You think it(Prius cooled by sun)is a good idea? You have every right to. But to ridicule what stand as intelligent observations from other people?
Why come here to spout your intelligence? If seems to me a case of inferiority complex.
Obviously your supposed academia didn’t teach you discretion!
Like I said Cg, the Chevy Impala has remote engine start, I’m guessing like the Mazda 929 did, so the air-con can then be run.
Actually I’d be very surprised/impressed if they had that tech back then…
Jbot,
They did have this tech but then.
The Mazda 929 had solar panels in its sunroof. I cant remember whether the panels then powered the air-con or turned on the ventilation, dropped the windows or simply opened the sunroof.
It was an option.
This is an extract from an old test drive from hard drive . com about the mazda 929 sunroof if you\’re interested.
\”The optional sunroof includes the most blatantly trick piece of gadgetry: a solar panel which can either run vent fans when the car is parked, to keep the interior cool, or recharge the battery. It\’s one of those obvious ideas which seems cute and exotic just because nobody ever thought of it.\”
Ok so why is this getting the \”world first\” tag for the Prius ? Another idea they have adopted as their own perhaps ;)
With all due respect to CA, I think it’s getting a “world first” tag because this was mainly a copy and paste of a press release
This is lazy work from CA.
We discussed this being old news and first seen on the Mazda 929 (as others have confirmed) many months ago.
I am finding that CA isn’t trying any more. Seems a lot of PR rerun when it suits.
If you can’t be bothered giving new and useful content and not just trying to get your pageviews up to satisfy advertising statistics, then I can’t be bothered reading…
Pick your game up CA before I won’t pay a visit any more – even to your home page.
maybe its the first time solar panels have been used to run the air conditioning compressor????you think??
Hey Andrew Im a “dudest”……..just for future reference ;)
Either way seems it not “world first” does it?
NTS………said the same earlier.Where is that innovative /exclusive stuff we used to get from you CA ?
Guys, this is a world’s first in the way the system has been designed, the idea isn’t a world first, but the of implementation is.
Also the reason it was posted again was due to more information being available.
We’ve got some really interesting photos of new Ford cars coming up soon – so we are definitely still chasing cars! :)
“Guys, this is a world’s first in the way the system has been designed, the idea is a world first, but this method of implementation is.”
Well, Alborz, if this is the level of your writing then go back to school. This sentence makes no sense at all. Read before you post !
I’ve heard this solar panel feature will only be available on the iTech, not the base. Once again Toyota have given us a crap line-up, whereas overseas there’s many different models and option packs available.
The radar system for adaptive cruise and crash prevention is pretty impressive. Once again, from what I’ve heard only the iTech scores the radar system.
Btw, the solar panel only powers the HVAC blower fan, not the A/C as some of you think.
Using a button on the keyfob, the air-conditioning can run for up to three minutes before the car is occupied, cooling the cabin down gradually and efficiently
Sorry FREAK…I must have read it wrong!
Sorry, I should have made my comment two separate paragraphs – two separate observations.
Not trying to say that nay-sayers on the Prius’ solar features are under-educated, just an observation that people get a bit petty during Toyota-related articles – and no – I’m not a Toyota driver.
That is all.
BM, I didn’t say dude, as I wrote I meant with all due respect to CarAdvice, I kinda figured from the (.)(.) lol
Well, it seems everyone is over the Prius. Okay you want something different? Give us a story on when the new Mégane will be coming to Australia! :P
Sorry, I had to say it. Also, apparently they will be bringing it here in the Coupé form first to attempt to change their image to a more classier car-maker. Why not bring the Laguna Coupé or the (now dated) Vel Satis?
Amazing how passionate people get when CA posts any Toyota story. :)
very simple Reality….JEALOUSY….unbelievable isn’t?