Mercedes-Benz claims to be developing a solar paint job that may provide enough energy to meet the daily demands of the typical LA driver.The Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has announced a number of research initiatives and upcoming innovations that it is developing, including a “new kind of solar paint” that, in the right circumstances, could produce enough energy for up to 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) of annual travel.

A few businesses have been experimenting with the idea of incorporating solar panels into the bodywork of electric cars. Examples of these include Scania’s solar-panel-covered semi-trailer, the three-wheeled Aptera Solar EV, and the “months without charging” Lightyear 0.

But what if the entire painted surface of the car could capture solar energy?

Solar paint is not a new idea in and of itself; there are a few different techniques, mainly within the research space, that allow photovoltaic material to be sprayed directly onto surfaces. Painting entire cars with it, however, would be quite a leap forward – and that’s what Mercedes-Benz is talking about as part of a new “Pioneering innovations for the car of the future” presentation outlining some key research programs it’s working on.The solar paint layer would live underneath the car’s color paint, protecting it from the elementsMercedes-Benz

Here are the key claims distilled from the Benz press release:

• The solar paint would add just 5 micrometers (0.0002 in) of thickness and 50 g of weight per square meter (0.17 oz per square foot) to a standard paint job
• It would operate at around 20% efficiency
• An area of 11 sq m (118 sq ft), or roughly the painted surface of a mid-size SUV, “could produce enough energy for up to 12,000 km (7,456 miles) a year under ideal conditions” in Stuttgart, Germany
• That annual figure would be closer to 20,000 km (12,427 miles) in LA, or 14,000 km (8,700 miles) in Beijing
• It contains no rare earths, no silicon, no toxic or supply-limited materials
• It’s recyclable
• It’s “considerably cheaper to produce than conventional solar modules”

The company says that based on local solar intensity and its own data on daily driving habits, this solar paint could completely eliminate plug-in charging for the average EV owner in Los Angeles making their daily commute.In the company’s cloudier home of Stuttgart, where Benz drivers cover an average of 52 km (32 miles) daily, the paint would allegedly generate more like 62% of the required energy.