Prius hackers may have just stumbled on a new winter project, mounting solar panels on their cars' roofs for extra juice. The rooftop panels, available from Solatec, charge the hybrid's battery through a proprietary charger/current-limiter system concealed behind interior trim panels, and cause no change in aerodynamic drag. They're said to give Prii a mileage boost of around 10% over EPA figures, to 55 MPG city and 62 MPG highway depending on how lead-footed a driver is. The kits cost $2,195, or around 1000 gallons of unleaded.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Kit [Solatec]

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A Dutch Threepeat: Crafty Netherlanders Put Down Bong, Win Solar Challenge [internal]

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