Signed and delivered - solar cells on the the Prius' roof. (Image credit: Kyocera)

Toyota's latest Prius line (generation 3) will use solar energy to power the system dedicated to balancing the internal temperature of the car with the temperature of the surrounding environment. Basically, if your car is parked out in direct sunlight, you won't have to open the doors and wait a couple of minutues before entering what would otherwise be a very comfortable oven. The ventialtion system is an option in the offered models of the new Prius.

The solar panels used to power fans for the ventilation system will be supplied by Kyocera, which has done rigorous testing to ensure the solar cells will withstand all the stress associated with operating a vehicle in real-world usage conditions (vibrations, bumps, torsion, etc). The company has set up a separate production line with dedicated manufacturing engineers to ensure high quality of the cells.