Nissan to showcase sliding solar charger concept for EVs at JMS 2025

Nissan might be in the middle of a rough patch when it comes to its finances, but the Japanese brand continues to come up with bright ideas for the future of electric cars.

Speaking of which, the 2025 Japan Mobility Show will be the place for Nissan to showcase its latest development for EV recharging called the Ao-Solar Extender. As the name suggests, it makes use of solar panels to recharge the batteries and extend the range of EVs while being exposed under the sun.

The system also charges the batteries even when the car is in motion, generating up to 300W of power. But what’s unique about the Ao-Solar Extender is that the surface area of the solar panel expands when the car is parked or left out in the sun for long periods. This increases the power generation to 500W but more importantly, the solar panel also serves as a sun shade for blocking sunlight on the windshield, preventing cabin temps from increasing while giving the A/C an easier time to keep the cabin cool.

Nissan even claims the system can generate enough electricity to cover the equivalent of driving up to 3,000 km per year. This could significantly reduce the hassle and costs of charging at home. In addition, because the Ao-Solar Extender generates power using solar energy, it is expected to be useful as a power source in the event of a disaster.

For now, Nissan is testing the prototype with the Sakura kei car, but plans to put it into production soon once they’ve sorted out the optimum performance, design, and price for the technology. We'll see more of it once Nissan rolls it out at the Japan Mobility Show 2025.