Wait a second.  The solar panels don't charge the battery?  The website says they just run a fan to keep your car cool.  I suppose that saves a little energy from air conditioning, but it's certainly disappointing.

Oh, and it looks like there's an EV button that makes it an electric vehicle for half a mile.  But, um, wouldn't that only make any sense if you could plug it in?

Lovins is there to save any or all of the big three or even the bigger ONE, Toyota.  It's hard to believe that Chrysler or GM won't take him up on the offer.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

so the solar panels don't improve mileage at all. if you didn't realize that the prius is just a status symbol yet, this is your wake-up call.

I think the solar panels are just another innovation, much like ABS or seat belts. Not a gimmick at all, but merely another evolutionary step in the realm of personal transportation. Not that the automobile is the best form of transport, but if we're going to build them, we may as well make them more efficient. This innovation will merely make the ac's work a little easier on a hot summer's day, but it's a start.  

The mellotron is your friend.