Clemson University has unveiled Deep Orange 17, a solar-integrated electric vehicle prototype developed with BMW that is designed to generate more energy than it uses during a typical day of urban commuting.
The prototype uses more than 1,700 photovoltaic cells embedded across its exterior and, based on modeled conditions in four cities, produced enough surplus solar energy to add an average 31 miles of driving range on top of a 12-mile daily commute.
Clemson said the vehicle was developed through its Deep Orange program, in which graduate automotive engineering students design and build a functional prototype with industry partners. BMW set the project challenge in fall 2024, asking students to rethink whether a vehicle could generate more energy than it consumes in everyday driving.
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Students focused on energy harvesting both while the vehicle is parked and while it is moving. Clemson said passenger vehicles spend most of their time parked, creating opportunities to collect solar energy during the day.
“This is a project we’ve wanted to pursue for years, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see this group of students come together over the last two years, overcome so many technical challenges and constraints, and bring an energy-positive vehicle to life,” said Stephan Augustin, project manager of research and new technologies at BMW.
The solar panels were developed with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. Clemson said the panel construction continues generating power even when parts of the surface are shaded.
Performance evaluations modeled environmental conditions and sunlight availability in Greenville, South Carolina, Frankfurt, Madrid and Mumbai. Clemson said the average surplus energy figure was calculated across those four locations.
Deep Orange 17 weighs 1,212 pounds, or 550 kilograms, about one-fourth the weight of many similarly sized production vehicles. Its chassis combines structural steel, aluminum, carbon fiber and 3D-printed metal joints.
The vehicle also uses regenerative braking, intelligent torque distribution and optimized drivetrain controls to improve efficiency and energy recovery. Its exterior design draws on the aerodynamic form of the boxfish, while the coupe carries the model name Luminetta.
Inside, the car includes a custom human-machine interface with real-time vehicle telemetry, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Clemson described the prototype as a two-door coupe designed for drivers seeking ease of driving, energy efficiency and reduced dependence on charging infrastructure.
“This was an incredibly challenging project, to create a working energy-positive prototype and to demonstrate how a vehicle can become increasingly energy independent through solar integration,” said Harsh Manghnani, a Deep Orange team member and solar integration lead.
The 16 students who developed Deep Orange 17 are due to graduate on Aug. 7 with Master of Science degrees in automotive engineering. Research on the prototype will continue at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, and the vehicle is scheduled to be featured at the 2027 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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