If you don't turn it on, all the AC unit does is weight you down a bit, no? Googling a bit, the AC-specific parts weight about 20kg. A Prius weights about 1300k

If you don't turn it on, all the AC unit does is weight you down a bit, no? Googling a bit, the AC-specific parts weight about 20kg. A Prius weights about 1300kg, so the AC is about 2% of its weight. Doesn't seem exactly life changing. In fact, in a BEV your problem is the 500kg battery, which those solar cars lack. You'd need to reduce it to get solar power to be more viable, but it would be at the cost of getting a lower range when the sun isn't shining directly on it. I'm not sure how many drivers would make that trade.