[elhigh]

Wow, when I saw the initial post in this thread was from 2014, I was sure it was an orphan.

Spray- or roll-on photovoltaic coatings may be in the future, but not anytime soon and not for people like us. It will be a pretty sophisticated process requiring careful application.

That said, I recall having seen video of a VW bus with a solar roof on. The roof extended a foot or two to the fore and aft. It won't provide enough power to drive with traffic, but it will reduce the load while in motion and top up the batteries when parked. It's on YouTube somewhere.

The smaller size and lighter weight of the HiJet just means the panels and batteries will have less to do, and maybe you can get by with smaller (cheaper) batteries and motor.

I fantasize about something along the lines of a Velorex, a super-lightweight framework with minimalist covering to keep the weight down even further. A solar roof on that would get even more done if it was only for low-speed city use.