The business of making green cars greener

More and more, people are putting solar power systems on the roof at home – so why wouldn’t they do the same for their cars?

According to OhGizmo, a new company called Solar Electric Vehicles has popped up seeking to do precisely that. SEV produces solar power roof models that can be fitted to a variety of vehicles.

The company’s leading product is a solar energy panel for the already quite green Toyota Prius. With a solar panel on the roof, the hybrid Prius can drive much further using its electric motor, SEV says, improving fuel economy by more than 20%.

And the cost? Well, according to the SEV website, the panels pay for themselves within two to three years. Not sure what all that time in the sun will do to the paint job, however.