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A car that passively recharges using solar is always superior to one that doesn't. I don't care if it only charges 5 miles per day. Just the fact that if you're

A car that passively recharges using solar is always superior to one that doesn't. I don't care if it only charges 5 miles per day. Just the fact that if you're stranded just a few miles from help, or to stave off charge losses when parked for a long time, or to power connected car features when it's off without draining drive battery, all make this make sense, and every EV should have at least a consideration for a solar panel on the hood and roof if not a glass roof.

bdlowery 4y ago
Tesla already considered this and they came to the conclusion it wasn’t worth it at all. Made the cars more expensive too, which is highlighted by the fact this car costs $255,000.
xnx 4y ago
Lots of reasons why solar panels don't make sense on cars are listed here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2021/01/05/aptera-electric-car-is-incredibly-efficient-and-green-but-never-charge-solar-panels-are-not/?sh=c9dc6d7f9fb2#:~:text=the%20car%20is%20a%20terrible%20choice https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2021/01/05/aptera...
pavon 4y ago
Depends on the use case. I have a house and garage where I can park and charge my car, and use the car primarily in town, so it makes more sense to put the solar panels on the house (with a battery if needed) than on the car. The car doesn't have to lug them around everywhere (decreasing efficiency), I can use the electricity for multiple purposes, and the panels will likely outlive the car itself. On the other hand, if you live in an apartment and park somewhere that doesn't provide charging, then panels could extend your range such that you only have to use a public charger every couple of weeks rather than a couple of times per week. If you do a lot of long out of town trips, the extra range might out-weight the loss in range from extra weight of the panels. Hard to say. However, in no case are the benefits worth the $250k cost.
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bdlowery 4y ago

Tesla already considered this and they came to the conclusion it wasn’t worth it at all. Made the cars more expensive too, which is highlighted by the fact this car costs $255,000.

xnx 4y ago

Lots of reasons why solar panels don't make sense on cars are listed here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2021/01/05/aptera-electric-car-is-incredibly-efficient-and-green-but-never-charge-solar-panels-are-not/?sh=c9dc6d7f9fb2#:~:text=the%20car%20is%20a%20terrible%20choice https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2021/01/05/aptera...

pavon 4y ago

Depends on the use case. I have a house and garage where I can park and charge my car, and use the car primarily in town, so it makes more sense to put the solar panels on the house (with a battery if needed) than on the car. The car doesn't have to lug them around everywhere (decreasing efficiency), I can use the electricity for multiple purposes, and the panels will likely outlive the car itself. On the other hand, if you live in an apartment and park somewhere that doesn't provide charging, then panels could extend your range such that you only have to use a public charger every couple of weeks rather than a couple of times per week. If you do a lot of long out of town trips, the extra range might out-weight the loss in range from extra weight of the panels. Hard to say. However, in no case are the benefits worth the $250k cost.

deleted 4y ago
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