Via GCC:
This is actually an old article; not sure why I stumbled across it.
Except I noticed in the illustration: "Solar roof for pre-warming of transmission fluid"
I wasn't sure at first if it was photovoltaics or thermal. Of course, it's PV:
Quote:
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The concept car also features a solar roof which acts as an additional energy source for the vehicle power supply which is independent of the engine. High-power solar cells covering a surface area of some 1.0 square meters generate a maximum energy of one kilowatt hour for consumers inside and outside the vehicle. This enables pre-heating of the gear oil, thereby shortening the inefficient warm-up phase.
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The roof can contribute power to other systems too.
This is the first I've ever seen the idea of prewarming a transmission from a manufacturer.