Aston Martin Race Cars With Solar Panels On Roof Soon

Aston Martin cars could see hybridization of sorts soon. We are not talking about the British automakers road cars, but their racing cars. And this hybridization would be nothing as fancy or performance oriented as those found in Audi or Toyota's Le Man prototype.

Instead, the alternate power source will be solar panels mounted on the roof of Aston Martin's GT race cars. While that might sound disappointing, it has immense practical value.

While solar cells can only generate limited amounts of power, it is still enough to power the air conditioning in the race cars. That's right. As per FIA regulations, the cabin temperature in race cars should be maintained below 32 degree celsius.

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Normally, the AC compressors are powered by the engine, which results in a slight drop in power. By freeing the engine from this load, Aston Martin's engines would have an advantage on track.

Aston Martin Racing has partnered with Chinese company Hanergy to install solar panels on their race cars. While the partnership was already in place when Le Mans 24 Hour race took place last week, the system was not yet ready to be put to use.

Trials will soon begin and the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4 race cars are expected to be equipped rooftop solar panels, powering the air conditioning the next time they take to the track.

"We aren't looking at solar power technology for our race cars because it is a green option," explains Aston Martin Racing's Team Principal John Gaw. "We are looking at how we can use the power of the sun to improve the comfort of our race cars for our drivers and therefore increase our performance on track. However, we are looking at how we can improve our green credentials as a business now that we are moving to new premises."