It turns out those stories about enterprising types adding solar panels to the Prius may have given Toyota an idea. The auto manufacturer plans to install solar panels on some third-generation Prius hybrids, Reuters reports, responding to a growing demand for "green" cars amid record-high oil prices, a source briefed on the matter said Monday. The panels, supplied by Kyocera Corp, will power (of all things) the car's air-conditioning on higher-end versions of the hybrid Prius.

"It's more of a symbolic gesture," said the source, who asked not to be identified in the article. "It's very difficult to power much more than that with solar energy." As the report says, solar power is not seen as a viable solution to power cars. "Solar panels are expensive due to rising silicon prices and storing energy is difficult. It was unknown how much the solar panels on the new Prius cars would cost, or how many solar-mounted versions Toyota would build." If only they can figure out how to get the panels to power the engine instead.

(Image credit: TreeHugger)