Problem
Today, the only way to air condition a vehicle standing under the tropical sun is to burn fuel: the driver starts the engine just to keep the air conditioning running, even when the vehicle is parked. Under intense radiation, the cabin may hit 60°C, and an idle heavy vehicle burns up to 3 liters of diesel per hour only for air conditioning, without moving a meter. This represents an estimated waste of R$ 20 thousand per vehicle per year in fuel, in addition to wearing out the original battery, shortening engine life and polluting the air of those waiting at boarding points. Urban transport fleets — in São Luís alone there are more than 900 buses in this profile — they face this cost on a daily basis, since even 80% of the air conditioning energy of a fleet is consumed when the vehicle is stationary. There is currently no autonomous active cooling alternative on the market that works without the engine running.
Solution
The SolarCool Drive transforms the sun, which heats the cabin, into the cooling source itself. We installed a modular solar kit on the roof of vehicles, capable of capturing and storing energy to power a low-consumption electric compressor. Thus, the vehicle can remain air conditioned even when stationary, without starting the engine, without burning fuel and without using the original battery.
The solution was designed for fleets that are unable to exchange all vehicles for new models. The installation is simple, reversible and does not alter the structure of the vehicle. In addition, the system uses IoT control to adjust air conditioning according to heat and solar incidence. In real tests, we reduced the internal temperature of 44,6°C for 21,8°C using solar energy only.
Business model
SolarCool Drive operates on a B2B model, selling solar air conditioning kits to transportation companies, fleet operators and public agencies. The customer purchases the complete system, with supply and installation, and contracts a monthly maintenance subscription.
The average ticket is R$ 15 thousand per installed vehicle, with potential sales per lot for fleets. In addition to the initial revenue, we generated recurring revenue of R$ 400/month per vehicle with performance, economy and temperature monitoring. For the client, the investment has an estimated return of between 6 and 12 months, by reducing the fuel used to keep the engine running during stops.
Market
SolarCool Drive acts at the intersection between automotive air conditioning, solar energy and fleet management. The global automotive HVAC market moved around US$ 63,6 billions in 2025, driven by the search for comfort, energy efficiency and emission reduction.
Our focus is on a high-potential niche: buses, trucks and other fleets that operate in hot regions and keep the engine running only to air condition the cabin. The opportunity lies in offering an affordable alternative for vehicles that are already in operation, without requiring the complete renewal of the fleet.
With a modular and reversible solar kit, SolarCool Drive brings active cooling and cost reduction to a large, growing market that is still underserved by retrofit solutions.
Competitors
Innovaklim is the main direct competitor, with electric/solar air conditioning systems developed for buses, including in partnership with Comil. The solution reduces diesel and emissions, but is mainly associated with integrated projects, new vehicles, or more complex adaptations.
SolarCool Drive stands out because it serves the existing fleet, whose renewal is financially unfeasible for most transportation companies and public agencies. Our modular solar kit is reversibly installed on the roof, without structural changes, without depending on the engine and without using the vehicle's original battery. Thus, it allows active solar-powered cooling to vehicles already in operation, with a more accessible and scalable deployment. The prototype was validated on a real vehicle, reducing the internal temperature of 44,6°C for 21,8°C with solar energy only.
Competitive differentiation
The SolarCool Drive combines three attributes that are not normally present in the same solution: active cooling, solar autonomy and retrofit for existing fleets. While conventional air conditioning only works with the engine running and consumes fuel, and solar exhaust fans only ventilate the cabin, our system performs real cooling using solar energy, without depending on the engine or the vehicle's original battery.
Our differential also lies in the modular and reversible installation: the kit is attached to the roof without structural changes to the body, allowing transport companies and public agencies to modernize vehicles they already own, without the high cost of renewing the entire fleet. The solution combines photovoltaic generation, independent storage, low consumption DC compressor and adaptive IoT control to optimize air conditioning according to the sun and the cabin's thermal load.
Entry barrier
Our barrier to entry lies in the integration of several technologies into a practical solution for fleets: solar energy, batteries, control electronics, refrigeration, mechanics, and IoT. It's not enough to install a solar panel; it's necessary to ensure that the system actually cools, works safely, and can be installed on existing vehicles without altering their structure.
We also have a patent filed and a prototype already validated in a real vehicle, which reduced the internal temperature of 44,6°C for 21,8°C using solar energy only. Each new installation also generates performance data that helps improve the product and makes our solution harder to copy.
Traction
We have a functional prototype validated in a real vehicle, with a reduction in the internal temperature of 44,6°C for 21,8°C using solar energy only. We have a registered patent, a formalized company and a participation in the incubation of the Marandu/UEMA Agency and the Centelha Maranhão Program.