A number of companies have dabbled with installing solar panels on their vehicles and the latest is Hyundai.
Thanks to a partnership between Worksport and the Hyundai America Technical Center, the two companies will test Worksport’s Solis solar tonneau cover and COR energy storage system on Santa Cruz pickups.
The companies didn’t go into many specifics, but the solar tonneau cover is capable of generating up to 650 watts of power by simply being parked in the sun. The energy will be fed to a modified version of Worksport’s COR energy storage system, which is essentially a portable solar generator with a standard capacity of 1,500 Wh.
Also Read: Charging Electric Pickups Could Be As Easy As Parking In The Sun Thanks To A Solar Tonneau Cover
While a number of questions remain, Worksport said Hyundai has provided “3D data” for the project and the two companies “intend to explore the benefit of each other’s products working in tandem, in order to determine the viability of a future partnership.” More interestingly, the companies agreed on a tentative timeline in regards to a “yet to be announced vehicle.”
That should raise some eyebrows and the mystery model will apparently be equipped with Worksport’s solar technology and COR energy storage system. It’s slated to be “ready for presentation to Hyundai’s head office by October of 2022.”
Worksport CEO Steven Rossi said, “Our company is honored to take this step with Hyundai and we are confident that they will be pleased with the working Solis and COR systems upon completion. To come together on a project with such a well-known brand allows for even more innovation and development from our engineering team, and enables Worksport to continue to serve as the leader in our industry.”
