Drivers of electric cars often worry about how many miles are left in the ‘tank’, hoping they can reach their destination or another charging point before they run out of power.
But Mercedes is developing a solar paint that generates enough electricity to power a car, bringing an end to what is known as ‘range anxiety’.
In the manufacturer’s home city of Stuttgart – which gets only slightly more sunshine than the UK – the paint could power a vehicle for around 7,500 miles in a year.
But in sunnier climates the paint could, in theory, meet all travel needs and generate so much electricity that the driver could use the excess in their home.
The paint uses photovoltaic technology, which converts solar energy into electricity through a semiconductor material.
The car panels would be wired into a power converter that sends the electricity to the battery or directly to the motor.
But the bad news is that while Mercedes has shown that the technology works in principle – it may be another 15 years before it is commercially available.
Mercedes hopes to roll out the technology by 2040 and said the paint would even charge a vehicle when parked.
Mercedes is developing a solar paint that will generate enough electricity to power a car
The car manufacturer hopes that the new technology will help to put an end to ‘range anxiety’ but the solar paint will not be available for another 15 years
In a press release, Mercedes said: ‘The photovoltaic system is permanently active and also generates energy when the vehicle is switched off.
‘In future, this could be a highly effective solution for increased electric range and fewer charging stops’.
A big factor putting the public off buying electric vehicles (EVs) is ‘range anxiety’ – the fear of not having enough charge to get to a destination.
Therefore, many automakers want to give their vehicles as large a range as possible, by installing a bigger battery or improving the battery chemistry.
Other ways to increase range include making the car’s shape more aerodynamic, using lighting materials, tweaking the software, or adding ‘regenerative braking’ – capturing energy from braking that would otherwise be lost and using it to recharge the battery.
Tesla’s Model S has a range of 410 miles, while another budget model of the Model S revealed in August has an even lower range (320 miles), and the Model X has even less.
However, 466 miles doesn’t quite match up to the Lucid Air Dream Edition from US firm Lucid Motors, which holds the market record for range, at 520 miles.
In September, Mercedes announced the Concept CLA Class, which measures more than 15 feet long and the manufacturer has claimed that the car’s new innovative battery will help with ‘range anxiety’ until the 15-year wait for solar paint is over.
The German carmaker claims its new concept vehicle the Concept CLA Class will help to put put range anxiety to bed
The Mercedes-Benz CEO said: ‘It is inspired by a generation of car buyers who want that unmistakable Mercedes-Benz feel, with more features, even greater comfort and safety and the most advanced technology’
The low-emissions four-door sedan also has panoramic windows, an expansive glass roof, and low-energy lights.
Mercedes said its new car has an ‘innovative battery’ that includes more silicon-oxide for better ‘energy density’ – the amount of energy stored in the battery per unit of mass and can drive 466 miles on a single charge.
A 800V charging configuration also enables rapid top-up of up to 248 miles (400km) in 15 minutes.
Unlike other prototypes from the company, Concept CLA Class is actually set to go into production, in late 2024 – but price is to be confirmed.