Hyundai and Kia Motors have just announced that they will be introducing solar roof charging technology to their vehicles in 2019.

The panels will be incorporated into either the roof or the hood of vehicles to provide power to the battery which should reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase range. It will be the first solar-charging technology that will be made available not just for electric and hybrid models but for internal combustion engines too.

To achieve this, they will be developing different solar charging systems, one for hybrid vehicles, a semi-transparent solar roof for internal combustion vehicles, and a lightweight solar roof for pure electric vehicles.

The hybrid system will be capable of charging 30 to 60 percent of the battery during the day and will be constructed of silicon solar panels integrated into a standard roof. The semi-transparent roof for gas-powered vehicles will charge the battery as well as other ancillaries and should help meet ever more stringent emissions regulations.

The electric vehicle solar panel is still in the testing phase and will be fitted to the hood and roof of battery electric vehicles to maximize the time required between charges.

"In the future, we expect to see many different types of electricity-generating technologies integrated into our vehicles. The solar roof is the first of these technologies, and will mean that automobiles no longer passively consume energy, but will begin to produce it actively," said the developer of the technology Jeong-Gil Park, Executive Vice President of the Engineering and Design Division of Hyundai Motor Group.

This technology looks to provide a meaningful economy boost to future Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The thought of being able to charge your car while you are at work does sound rather good, although you may need to leave it outside for the best results.