solar cars 2023

In 2023, “solar cars” were mostly EVs with roof and bonnet panels, not sun-powered magic carpets.

On a good Aussie day those panels add a trickle—think a few kilowatt-hours, worth roughly 10–30 km of extra range if you drive sensibly.

Startups made headlines, prototypes toured, and a few projects quietly hit pause, but no mainstream solar-only car reached Australian showrooms.

The clever move is rooftop solar at home feeding an EV, so the driveway does the charging while you brew a cuppa.

Great tech demo, promising future—just don’t bin the charger yet.