Aston Martin Racing (AMR) and Hanergy have agreed to extend their partnership in the UK to further develop the capability of solar panels equipped on Aston Martin GTE racing car roof.
First announced in June last year, the partnership is part of Hanergy's project to design the world's first solar powered car.
The partners aim to enhance capabilities of Aston Martin race cars, and facilitate Hanergy's thin-film solar technology project for the consumer automobile segment.
The solar modules are designed to charge the main battery, which manages various functions, including the air conditioning system.
AMR and Hanergy will work to further improve the power output from the solar panels thereby reducing the use of an alternator and improving Aston Martin GTE's performance.
AMR technical director Dan Sayers said: "The more electrical energy we generate from the solar panels, the more of the engine's output can be used to power the car, ultimately improving its performance. For us, Hanergy's solar panels present a key performance benefit."
If plans to increase power output are successful, Hanergy inteds to implement the project on a wider range of car models.
Hanergy vice president Jason Chow said: "We are starting with luxury and high performance cars like the Aston Martin GTE to test our limits and understand performance at high speeds.
"As we develop our technology further, we plan to adapt our panels to electric, hybrid and petrol and diesel powered cars accessible to the public."
Image: Aston Martin Racing and Hanergy will work to further improve the power output from the solar panels thereby reducing the use of an alternator. Photo: courtesy of Hanergy / Aston Martin
