Is Nissan's New Solar Roof Too Ugly to Catch On?

­Nissan has designed a solar roof for its Sakura "kei" EV that, like many renewable energy applications, might not pass the eye test.

Let’s face it – a lot of solar power, wind, and a host of electric systems are technologically sound but a fugly eye sore. Wealthy homeowners are green zealots but often don’t want wind turbines obstructing their view of the coast. Photovoltaic solar panels are a great idea, but putting them atop residential roofs isn’t the most aesthetically-pleasing solution.

And the less spoken about the ‘70s era EVs – i.e., glorified golf carts – the better.

Nissan’s solar roof could end up falling into this category of elegant (and ugly) tech solutions.

Of course, Nissan is pretty far from the first automaker to tinker with that idea. Companies up to and including Toyota – with its Prius – have tried to add a modicum of range with a solar roof.

Nissan’s Ao-Solar Extender does what the name would suggest – when the car is in park, it expands outwards to provide a greater photovoltaic surface area and power generation potential to approximately 500 Watts. It also looks like a surfboard.

Yes, it allegedly provides additional range of approximately 1,864 miles annually, though one wonders how much of that year would have to be spent in park. The company also touts the potential to block out sunlight and save on AC power consumption, though that seems spurious at best.

But I’m not sure how many motorists want a surfboard permanently fused to their car’s roof – even if it’s retracted. And that’s literally on top of a vehicle that’s already winning no beauty contests.

Whether it’s a top priority or not, renewable energy aesthetics do matter.