EV range anxiety could be a thing of the past thanks to Mercedes’ new solar paint – which promises thousands of free miles a year

• Mercedes has unveiled a series of future innovations during workshops
• Its ‘solar paint’ contains no rare earths and no toxic materials
• Aerodynamic braking and power converters aim to improve EV efficiencies

The utopian dream of solar-powered motoring might not be so distant, as Mercedes-Benz recently opened the doors to some of its most forward-thinking engineering laboratories – and it turns out photovoltaic surfaces are very much on the agenda.

During a number of workshops in its home city of Stuttgart, Germany, Mercedes-Benz lifted the lid on how it has been working on a new kind of solar surface that could generate enough electricity for folks in sunnier climates to cover their daily commuting requirements.

According to the German marque, the ‘solar modules’ measure just five micrometers in thickness – significantly thinner than a human hair – and weigh just 50 grams per square meter. They can be applied to almost any substrate, with applications of future vehicles likely coming in the form of a “wafer-thin layer of paste” that will cover most of the body work.

Mercedes-Benz has past experience with solar panels and the impact they can have on the electric range of EVs, as the company’s record-breaking EQXX concept (the rolling lab that drove more than 620 miles on a single charge) used a small solar panel on the roof that added around 30km (18 miles) of additional range during one of its long distance record attempts.

But the breakthrough in photovoltaic surface treatments means much more of a vehicle could be covered, equating to a much greater increase in additional EV mileage.

No giant solar panels needed

Taking a fairly standard mid-sized SUV like the marque’s EQS as an example, Mercedes engineers claim the 11 square meter…