Imagine a car that “opens” to the sun like a flower, ready to capture every ray to transform it into clean energy. This is the idea behind Ao-Solar Extender, Nissan’s new concept, which was presented at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 last November.
The protagonist is the Nissan Sakura Kei, the small Japanese electric car just 3.4 meters long – the best-selling car in Japan for three consecutive years from 2022. Compact, silent and designed for the city, today it also becomes a small solar power plant on wheels.
The new photovoltaic system, developed entirely by Nissan, combines a 300W fixed panel with a 200W extendable section. When open, the roof can generate up to 500W of power, recharging the battery even while driving or when the car is stationary.
A roof that “opens” to the sun and offers up to 3,000 free km per year
The Ao-Solar Extender is lightweight — just 30 kg — and uses monocrystalline silicon solar cells, the same ones we find in home photovoltaic panels. The idea is simple but very powerful: allow the car to recharge itself, using only sunlight.
According to Nissan, the system can provide up to 3,000 kilometers of additional range per year, depending on daylight hours and driving style. It means that those who use the car for short trips – going to work, dropping off their children, doing the shopping – could reduce their charging from the electricity grid to almost zero. And that’s not all: in the event of an emergency or blackout, the solar roof can function as an autonomous energy source, powering essential devices.
Technology born from an internal idea and ready to become reality
It’s curious to think that this project was born from an internal competition of ideas within Nissan in 2021. A group of engineers proposed a compact and retractable solar system, capable of integrating perfectly into the aesthetics of the car without compromising its aerodynamics. From that intuition the Ao-Solar Extender prototype was born, now in an advanced stage of development.
The current design features a glass cover, but the company is studying lighter materials to further reduce its weight. The commercial debut has yet to be announced, but the message is clear: the future of electric cars will also be photovoltaic.
Japan as a laboratory for the mobility of the future
The project is part of Nissan’s sustainable mobility vision, which aims to combine technology, efficiency and respect for the environment. And Japan, where daily commutes are short and spaces are limited, is the perfect place to experiment with a new generation of lightweight, intelligent, self-sufficient vehicles.
An idea that could soon arrive in Europe too, where interest in compact electric cars and autonomous charging systems is growing. For now it remains a prototype, but the direction is clear: a car that charges itself is no longer science fiction, it’s just a question of time (and sun).
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