Ferrari finds a clever spot for solar power: right under the windshield

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Ferrari has found an unusual spot for solar charging — not the roof, not the hood, but a sun visor under the windshield. The idea sounds simple enough: the car sits in the sun, the visor shields the cabin from overheating and harvests energy at the same time.

This is not full-scale traction battery charging like you would get from a station. The windshield area is too small, and the angle of incoming light keeps shifting. But a visor like this can act as a power source for auxiliary systems: keeping the 12-volt network topped up, feeding the electronics, ventilation or sensors while the car is parked.

For Ferrari this is particularly interesting given the shift toward electrified models. Hybrids and EVs have a growing list of energy consumers: climate control, telematics, security systems, cabin preconditioning and cooling. A modest solar top-up will not make the car «free» to run, but it does help conserve the main charge in places where the car spends a lot of time sitting in the sun.

There is also a practical bonus, and not just for the supercar owner. The cabin heats up less, the battery spends less on cooling, and the electronics get an extra power source without an external cable. The downside is just as obvious: the system depends on the weather, the parking spot and how clean the glass is.

The concept is also relevant well beyond premium brands. Solar charging in a car will not solve the issue of winter range, but in sunny regions and during long outdoor parking stints, the idea could pay off across the segment.

Sometimes the most expensive technology starts with an object many people still buy at a petrol station for the price of a coffee.