Toyota Prius rumored to add solar panels

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to install solar panels on its next-generation Prius hybrid cars, becoming the first major automaker to use solar power for a vehicle, according to media reports. If successful, the solar panels will add an entirely new dimension to the already popular gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle.

The automaker plans to equip solar panels, made by Kyocera Corp., on the roof of the high-end version of the Prius when it redesigns the car early next year, and the power generated by the system would be used for the air conditioning.

A Toyota spokeswoman could not immediately confirm the report.

The Prius, the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car, first went on sale in Japan in late 1997 and in other markets in 2000, and its cumulative sales have topped 1 million units worldwide.

Toyota remodeled the Prius with an improved hybrid system in 2003 and is expected to launch a third-generation version by next year.