Yes—some cars do have solar panels, but they mostly provide supplemental power

Several production vehicles and prototypes feature integrated solar panels, yet they generally add only a small amount of energy—enough for a few extra kilometers or to run auxiliary systems—rather than powering the car outright. Examples include Japan-market versions of the Toyota Prius Plug-in (solar roof option), select trims of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in certain regions, the limited-run Fisker Ocean with its “SolarSky” roof, and earlier Hyundai Sonata Hybrids. More ambitious “solar electric vehicles” such as Aptera aim for meaningful daily range from the sun, but mass deliveries have not begun, and fully solar-powered cars remain impractical for mainstream use due to surface-area and efficiency constraints.

What exists today

Automakers have experimented with solar roofs for decades, primarily to power ventilation fans or trickle-charge batteries. In the past few years, a handful of models pushed further, feeding small amounts of energy into the traction battery. Availability varies by market and model year, and options sometimes appear for a limited time or on specific trims.

Mainstream cars that offered or offer factory solar integration

The vehicles below are notable for having manufacturer-installed solar panels, either current or in recent model years. Availability and functionality differ by region and year, and most systems add only modest energy under ideal sunlight.

• Toyota Prius Plug-in (Japan, latest generation): Optional solar roof can charge the traction battery while parked and power auxiliaries; not broadly offered in North America or Europe.
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 (select markets/years): Optional solar roof in Korea and some European trims, contributing modest energy to the high-voltage or 12V system under favorable conditions.
• Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (earlier model years): Limited trims offered a solar roof that could add a small amount of daily energy; availability has been reduced or discontinued in many markets with newer refreshes.
• Fisker Ocean (limited availability): The “SolarSky” roof on top trims was designed to add supplemental energy. Fisker entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024, and long-term support and production are uncertain.
• Karma Revero / Fisker Karma (earlier 2010s–late 2010s): Featured a solar roof, primarily for support systems; incremental energy only.
• Nissan Leaf (first generation, select trims): A small rear-spoiler solar panel trickle-charged the 12V battery; it did not add meaningful driving range.

These integrations are real but modest in impact: most roof-only installations are small (typically under a few hundred watts peak), producing noticeable but limited energy compared with what driving consumes.

Vehicles aiming for meaningful solar contribution

A few companies are designing vehicles around solar from the start, covering more surface area and using high-efficiency cells to add meaningful daily range. These efforts remain early-stage or niche.

• Aptera (three-wheeled “autocycle” SEV): Promises significant daily solar gains in sunny climates thanks to body-integrated panels and ultra-efficient aerodynamics. As of 2025, it remains pre-production with no mass deliveries.
• Squad Mobility “Squad” (EU low-speed city car/quadricycle): A compact urban vehicle with a roof-mounted solar array intended to add short daily range; rollout is limited and market-specific.
• University and R&D demonstrators (e.g., Solar Team Eindhoven’s “Stella” projects): Show what’s possible with extreme efficiency and large solar surfaces, but they’re not consumer products.

These designs illustrate the potential of solar when paired with ultra-light, ultra-efficient vehicles, but they also highlight why mainstream cars—larger, heavier, and feature-rich—benefit less from onboard solar.

Projects that were canceled or paused

Some of the most ambitious solar-car programs struggled to reach scale, underscoring technical and funding hurdles.

• Sono Motors Sion: A family-size hatchback wrapped in body-integrated solar panels; canceled in 2023 as the company pivoted to B2B solar retrofits for buses and trucks.
• Lightyear 0 / Lightyear 2: The premium Lightyear 0 began an ultra-limited run in 2022 before the manufacturing subsidiary went bankrupt in 2023. The more affordable Lightyear 2 has not reached market; the company has shifted focus toward solar technology partnerships.

These outcomes reflect the difficulty of funding and industrializing vehicles that rely on extensive solar integration and novel supply chains.

How much range can solar really add?

Solar yield depends on panel size, efficiency, location (latitude, weather), parking orientation, and whether the system charges while driving. Typical outcomes for production vehicles with roof-only solar are modest.

• Roof-only panels (sedans/SUVs): Often add just a few kilometers (or a couple of miles) per day in ideal sunshine, and far less in cloudy or shaded conditions. Some systems power only auxiliaries or trickle the 12V battery.
• Body-integrated panels (concepts/SEVs like Aptera): In sunny regions, claims range from roughly 10 to 60 km (6 to 37 miles) per day under ideal conditions; real-world results vary widely.
• Seasonality matters: Winter yield can drop dramatically in higher latitudes; summer yield is higher but still constrained by panel area and heat losses.

In practical terms, solar on today’s mainstream cars is best viewed as a range extender for light daily needs or as a way to reduce parasitic drain, not as a primary energy source.

Why fully solar-powered cars aren’t mainstream

Fundamental physics limit the energy a car’s body can harvest. Even efficient panels on a typical sedan or SUV roof deliver a fraction of the energy consumed by daily driving. Urban shading, suboptimal tilt, high temperatures (which reduce panel efficiency), and the small surface area available on a car make it difficult for onboard solar to cover average commuting needs for most drivers. Stationary rooftop solar at home or work, paired with EV charging, remains far more productive.

What to watch next

Expect gradual improvements in high-efficiency solar cells, power electronics, and vehicle energy efficiency. Automakers may reintroduce or expand solar-roof options in specific markets, while niche SEVs continue to test the limits. For most consumers, however, the biggest gains will still come from charging with fixed solar installations rather than panels on the car itself.

Summary

Yes, some cars do have solar panels—but they mainly supplement power rather than replace plug-in charging or fuel. A few production models (region- and trim-specific) offer solar roofs, and niche projects aim for larger solar contributions, yet practical limitations keep onboard solar as an incremental benefit rather than a standalone solution for mainstream driving.