Nissan Creates Solar Charging System for EVs

Nissan and its partner 4R Energy Corporation have developed a system for electric vehicles that combines solar charging with lithium-ion batteries. The companies are also experimenting with a system that would do away with the traditional charging of EVs. 

The system, which is installed at Nissan's headquarters, uses solar cells attached to seven charging stations for the Nissan Leaf. Each station is made up a bundle of four batteries from the Leaf being charged from the sun. The power generated at all of the stations is enough to charge a Leaf 1,800 times each year. 

Nissan claims that the system allows for electric vehicles to be charged through a means that produces no CO2. 

The batteries charged at the stations are identical as the batteries used in Leaf, which means that it is also possible for Leaf users to swap batteries when in need of a charge. This would mean that drivers would not have to wait for their cars to charge, instead they would swap out the batteries and drive away. 

4R Energy is a joint venture between Nissan and Sumitomo Corp., which aims to investigate lithium-ion batteries. Its goal is to find a business model for batteries in electric vehicles that can no longer be charged with enough power to run the vehicle.