The solar-powered concept is not new and even the demonstrated prototypes have been there since 31 August 1955. Link ->> https://youtu.be/SgQ2T5g3Rn8?t=110

Toyota was bought as a cheaper option by the US Army during the Korean War, then the US Army used their clout to send Eiji Toyota, one of the ancestors of Akio Toyoda, and the other top brass of Toyota to Ford’s factories for “training”. This training from Ford enabled them to devise the Toyota Way and the Toyota Production System.
Ford has some limitations which Toyota does not have, Ford is one of the Detroit Big 3 but there is labour union and workers have rights. Toyota exploits full advantage of no unions and semi-slavery culture. One of the reasons how Toyota far exceeded Ford.

Toyota has long been conservative and even lost sales to it. When the RWD to FWD revolution was happening, Toyota dug its feet and lost sales to Honda and Nissan. Now the same is happening with hybrid/ICE vs BEV.

Read more about it here ->> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota

https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/lightyear-one-solar-ev-has-over-700-km-range/

it was called Lightyear One previously but was later renamed to 0…

https://www.electrive.com/2022/06/10/lightyear-one-to-be-named-lightyear-0-as-series-model/

There is the concept of diesel–electric in trains and buses, where a diesel engine powers a generator but the vehicle is moved using electric motors. This makes the need of gearbox, drive shafts etc. irrelevant. It enables totally new ways of powering the train, such as each bogey can have one drive axle and one idler axle. This way an electric train can run even in places where the tracks do not a have an electricity transmission line above them.
The engine does not need to pull anything, it just needs to provide power through the genset, rest each bogey can its own weight, this way there are no losses in the couplings etc.

Some buses also come with a diesel turbine engine, the diesel turbine engine’s efficiency is much higher than that of a piston engine.

Let me tell you a story: in the older times, the factories used to have one steam engine (external compression engine), ALL the machines of factory needed to be drive from this single crankshaft! The entire factory was a marvel of mechanical engineering because of the number of cogs, cranks, cams, belts, pulleys, chains and sprockets needed to transfer all that motion to its required place. Then came the electric generator and electric motor and life was much easier, just connect a genset to the shaft of the engine and run electric wires throughout the factory, then use motors where you need to produce motion and connect them to the electricity. Voila, immense possibilities of customization, efficiency and safety quickly opened up. High power motors, low power motors, low RPM motors, high RPM motors, compact motors, large motors, saving of space, only replace the motor which broke, only need to turn off that part of the assembly line which has a fault – instead of stopping the steam engine which would halt the entire factory.

Very true!

Jap cars back in the 60s and 70s did not gain any attention till they started to copy the Americans and the Europeans.

Now you have brainwashed fanboys saying they did everything with no one’s help. 😵😱

The Europeans have always been there for the Japs to copy from, otherwise their entire past design language would have never existed!! 🤣

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/02/21/toyota-debuts-new-prius-with-rooftop-pv-option-in-japan/

Toyota offered this option where it just slapped on a couple of solar panels on top of the Prius. But it never picked up. The charging was never of any actual use to the consumer and more of a marketing gimmick. The panels were so weak that they could give some charge to the battery but could not charge it to full capacity. Any one who knows their battery charging tech will be able to tell you that if you don’t have a charger strong enough to provide the necessary current/amps, it will not be able to charge any battery fully. The most power required to charge any battery is after the battery reaches 80 percent charged. The last 20 percent of charge to take it to 100 percent need more power. If your charger is weak it will take very long or not be able to charge at all. Anyone charging their phones with really cheap chargers will be able to testify to this. 😁

https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/5/20683111/toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid-solar-roof-range-electricity-energy-environment#:~:text=Toyota%20will%20start%20testing%20a,car%20while%20it's%20being%20driven.

Toyota was testing solar roof panels a few years back with lofty claims of extended ranges and what not. But as usual till date it is still just hype.

The only car that I know of which started the solar panel roof trend was the Fisker karma. An EV which also had a range extender gasoline engine used only to charge the batteries and not drive the car. Made by Fisker automotive from Finland. Again, Japs copying the Europeans (surprise, surprise).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisker_Karma

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_extender

The range extender feature was also used later on by BMW in the small i3 and by Chevy Volt etc. And again copied by the Japs in the Nissan e-power Note and the e-power kicks.

Good thing the Europeans are there for the Japs to copy. What would they do without them. 😜