Hyundai’s all-new 2020
Sonata Hybrid will soon debut in North America, so the automaker has released
more details about the vehicle’s solar roof charging system. A first for the brand, the panels
mounted on the roof charge the vehicle’s battery even while driving, thus
preventing battery discharge, improving fuel efficiency, and reducing CO2
emissions.
Furthermore, the 2020 Sonata Hybrid benefits from
additional electrical power and driving range thanks to this technology.
According to the company, the system , which comes as standard, can charge 30
to 60 percent of the battery per day and six hours of daily charging will
increase travel distance by an extra 1,300 km annually.
When solar energy activates the panel’s surface, the
roof converts it by using photons of light from the sun. This creates the
electron-hole pairs in silicon cells, which in turn generate electricity that
is subsequently converted to the standard voltage by a controller, and then
stored in the battery. The 2020 Sonata Hybrid is powered by a Smartstream G2.0 GDi HEV four
mated to a six-speed hybrid transmission with Active Shift Control technology.
The gasoline engine develops 150 HP and 188 Nm of torque, with the electric motor adding another 51 HP and 205 Nm. Hyundai says it currently has no plans to bring the Sonata Hybrid to
Europe, where it continues to sell the i40 in sedan and wagon body styles.
