{"id":36623,"date":"2026-09-10T14:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=36623"},"modified":"2026-09-10T07:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T11:12:24","slug":"a-munich-bus-trailer-generated-power-from-20-solar-panels-but-the-company-behind-the-diesel-saving-idea-ran-out-of-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/a-munich-bus-trailer-generated-power-from-20-solar-panels-but-the-company-behind-the-diesel-saving-idea-ran-out-of-money\/36623\/","title":{"rendered":"A Munich bus trailer generated power from 20 solar panels, but the company behind the diesel-saving idea ran out of money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A passenger trailer in Munich<\/a> had twenty solar panels bolted to it producing more than 2,000 watts without the need to send the power directly to the bus drivetrain. The electricity supports, a 24-volt battery, plus its heating, ventilation, air conditioning and trailer steering all slapped together into a Sono Motors. That bad boy could help save up to 2,500 liters (or about 660 gallons) of diesel and more than 6.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide per vehicle each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some impressive numbers, but with a bitter twist. Sono Motors had to stop operation July 31, 2026 and open insolvency proceedings after failing to secure sustainable financing. A European research project<\/a> had reported on May 19 that the vehicle integrated solar system could repay its cost in less than two years, but it did not happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did the trailer work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Solar panels on vehicles have always raised the question if they are productive enough to move such big structures sustainably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this case the trailer\u2019s 20 semi flexible modules covered about 12 square meters and supplied more than 2,000 watts to the electrical systems that otherwise would normally draw power generated by the diesel burn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sono
Sono Motors and Munich transport operator MVG presented the solar-equipped passenger trailer as a way to reduce the diesel needed to run auxiliary electrical systems.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That meant less idling, less strain on the battery and less fuel burned to keep passengers cool<\/a> in that sticky summer heat we all know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Road data helped the case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new project SolarMoves (commissioned by Europe) started by studying 23 different types of vehicles<\/a>. The research used sensor measurements from 800 thousand miles of driving collected through satellite data and combined it with weather records from Amsterdam and Madrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truck trailers showed they could generate up to 55 kilowatt-hours per summer day and 90 to 110 kilowatt-hours if the solar modules also covered the side walls. On electric trucks<\/a> the extra energy could prove to extend their daily range by up to 15 percent, while on diesel trucks the reduced load from that extra power gave the calculated result of the two years payback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Researchers also modeled a scenario in which every vehicle sold from 2024 through 2030 included integrated solar panels in order to calculate the possible grid demand. Results showed it would fall 15.6 terawatt-hours by 2030, roughly equalling the annual output of 2,200 onshore wind turbines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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