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Even if this could eventually be done affordably, this only only makes sense for vehicles meant to only go a short distance on electricity, like Toyota's own Pr

by danans 7y ago

Even if this could eventually be done affordably, this only only makes sense for vehicles meant to only go a short distance on electricity, like Toyota's own Prius Prime, with it's 25 mile electric range. If you have a longer range EV, then you need to plug in anyways to charge the much larger battery, at which point why bother with the solar panels for charging the traction battery? This seems a bit like an attempt to get more out of their hybrid gasoline powered cars, which is a technology they seem very wedded to.

kchamplewski 7y ago
> If you have a longer range EV, then you need to plug in anyways to charge the much larger battery Why can't you, say, have a longer range EV but only have a short commute and so not utilise that range usually? Surely in that scenario, solar is useful on a daily basis, but when you want to go on a long distance journey you can still make use of the charging facilities and longer range.
- danans 7y ago
  Given that your short (i.e. 10 miles) commute costs about $1 in utility rate electricity (at 20c/kWh, .5kWh/mi), to be worthwhile, the solar panels would need to cost far less than the $2 per day that such a commute costs. Accounting for rainy or cloudy days, and the inevitable dirtying of the solar panels, it's unlikely to be worth the expense in economic terms, to say nothing of the aesthetics. It would make more sense to use the money to put solar panels on your house, if generating your own energy for commuting is a priority. That's why I maintain that the only value of on-car solar panels for daily commute purposes is for hybrids with small batteries (which are Toyotas strategy) since the alternative to electricity in that case is using petrol, which typically costs 2x per mile compared to electricity.
masklinn 7y ago
> If you have a longer range EV, then you need to plug in anyways to charge the much larger battery, at which point why bother with the solar panels for charging the traction battery? Not everybody has a wired garage available, for one. Especially urban communities of europe or japan. Having to go to the public charging stations a bit less is still a boon. It's a range extender (not a big one, granted) and an emergency charger if you run out of juice as well (that happens).

by danans 7y ago

kchamplewski 7y ago

> If you have a longer range EV, then you need to plug in anyways to charge the much larger battery Why can't you, say, have a longer range EV but only have a short commute and so not utilise that range usually? Surely in that scenario, solar is useful on a daily basis, but when you want to go on a long distance journey you can still make use of the charging facilities and longer range.

danans 7y ago
Given that your short (i.e. 10 miles) commute costs about $1 in utility rate electricity (at 20c/kWh, .5kWh/mi), to be worthwhile, the solar panels would need to cost far less than the $2 per day that such a commute costs. Accounting for rainy or cloudy days, and the inevitable dirtying of the solar panels, it's unlikely to be worth the expense in economic terms, to say nothing of the aesthetics. It would make more sense to use the money to put solar panels on your house, if generating your own energy for commuting is a priority. That's why I maintain that the only value of on-car solar panels for daily commute purposes is for hybrids with small batteries (which are Toyotas strategy) since the alternative to electricity in that case is using petrol, which typically costs 2x per mile compared to electricity.

masklinn 7y ago

> If you have a longer range EV, then you need to plug in anyways to charge the much larger battery, at which point why bother with the solar panels for charging the traction battery? Not everybody has a wired garage available, for one. Especially urban communities of europe or japan. Having to go to the public charging stations a bit less is still a boon. It's a range extender (not a big one, granted) and an emergency charger if you run out of juice as well (that happens).