Where Are All the Solar-Powered Cars?

https://spectrum.ieee.org/solar-powered-cars

by rbanffy • 9 hours ago

4 5 9 hours ago

spectrum.ieee.org

DonsDiscountGas• 5 hours ago

https://aptera.us/vehicle/

If you have a short commute it might be worthwhile.

mikestew• 4 hours ago

TFA never really addresses the question of, "given that 600-700W is about all that's going to fit on top of a car roof, how many days does it take to recharge a 50kWh battery pack?" Because that would also conveniently answer the question in the headline.

(And I'm being generous with the 700W on a car roof. I could squeeze about 450W on the roof of a 26 foot RV.)

klaff• 3 hours ago

It is stupid to put a solar panel on top of a car.

1. The car's surface is small relative to charging needs. Both have fundamental limits (insolation and aerodynamics) that aren't likely to change much.

2. The car's top is not generally flat or even a simple curved surface, so you'll probably be compromising the aerodynamics.

3. If the car is parked in a garage, or under a tree, it will not make power. If you're buying the panels, put them where they'll see the sun as much as possible (rooftop, shade awning for parking, etc.) would be better.

4. The solar panel will get junked when the car gets junked rather than lasting longer as it would in a stationary environment.

5. If the car's battery is full, the panel output can't be used, but see point 1, this will only happen if the car is parked in the sun w/o driving for a number of days, even if it was parked at 80%.

killingtime74• 3 hours ago

Plenty of cars are solar powered now. The solar power panels are mounted on a house and charge a car. I don't understand the obsession with putting the panels on the car itself.

gabrielsroka• 50 minutes ago

2023

Where Are All the Solar-Powered Cars?

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