Electric Cars Set For 8,388-mile Paris-Africa Journey With 5,600W Solar Panels

At the 100th anniversary of Citroën’s historic African expedition, the French automobile brand is set to go on a journey across the African continent this October. Four electric vehicles, powered entirely by custom-designed solar panels, will cover an impressive distance of 8,388 miles (13,500 kilometers).

This trek, known as La Croisière Verte will take the Citroën AMI fleet from North to South Africa. This initiative involves four custom-engineered electric vehicles, each carrying 5,600 watts of solar panels that will be installed along the route to provide stationary charging, PV Magazine reported. These vehicles will only depend on solar power and have also been modified to endure the tough terrain of Africa.

The mastermind behind La Croisière Verte is a French entrepreneur, a former Dakar Rally racer, and a Dutch engineer, all dedicated to pushing the boundaries of green travel. The Citroën AMI vehicles will be equipped with innovative solar technology. The solar panels, which can be unfolded from portable mini-panel packs, use ultra-thin, monocrystalline interdigitated back-contact technology from Singapore-based Maxeon. Mito Solar, a PV module manufacturer, developed the solar system that powers the cars, boasting a capacity of 22 kW, far surpassing the typical domestic solar system, which ranges from 1 kW to 4 kW.

“These are not your average solar panels,” PV Magazine notes, highlighting the use of fiberglass-coated PET foam racks, which can withstand the extreme summer heat in Africa—an improvement over traditional aluminum or steel frames. A simple MPPT charge controller is used to optimize battery charging, and the solar technology was crafted using off-the-shelf equipment to ensure functionality throughout the journey.

Beyond the solar panels, the Citroën vehicles were extensively modified for this expedition. The standard 6 kWh battery has been replaced with a larger version, extending the car’s range from 43.5 miles to approximately 155.3 miles (70 km to 250 km). Engineers also fitted drum motors to the rear wheels and increased the height of the chassis, providing extra ground clearance essential for traversing Africa’s diverse landscapes.

While the journey could be an adventure, it will be far from luxurious. Starting in Paris, the convoy of EVs will cross from Marseilles to Morocco before continuing their trek to Cape Town, South Africa. Traveling at an average speed of 28 mph (45 km/h), the cars are expected to cover around 124 miles (200 km) per day.

This expedition follows a similar solar-powered journey across Africa, where a Dutch team successfully drove an electric Skoda across the continent using solar panels. As with that adventure, La Croisière Verte won’t offer many comforts, with drivers expected to sleep in rooftop tents during the expedition.

However, the real goal of the project is to prove that “it is possible to implement sustainability in everybody’s daily lives,” the team shared with PV Magazine.