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Solar technology on cars

NicholasHarris

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Location
Louisiana, US
Solar power is in my opinion one of the most efficient methods of generating power that we are aware of, which is why when I heard Elon musk of Tesla say that he thinks it is a waste, I was shocked. Apparently Mr. Musk has never lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Or any southern state for that matter that see large amounts of sun year round.

Anyone who has lived in the southwest knows that solar is an excellent way of generating power. But corruption and greed and fear abounds and solar has never really caught on as well as it should.

Elon Musk of the Tesla auto company made me sad with his comments regarding solar power on cars, but thankfully Toyota still employ people who possess the ability to think logically which is why I still remain loyal to them.

What do you think about this situation? Share your thoughts, please :)
 
You mean solar cells mounted on a car itself, powering it?

Because Elon is involved with home solar and battery storage.

And a car simply doesn't have enough surface area to generate enough electricity to make much of a difference. At least, not a big fat heavy fast thing like a Tesla. Sure, some people have made super lightweight EV's with fold-out panels or tiltable roof arrays, and they've managed to travel across sunny landscapes with them. But full Arizona summer sunlight and the top surface of a Tesla coated with solar cells - and it's still only going to be a tiny fraction of the power it needs to drive around.
 
You mean solar cells mounted on a car itself, powering it?

Because Elon is involved with home solar and battery storage.

And a car simply doesn't have enough surface area to generate enough electricity to make much of a difference. At least, not a big fat heavy fast thing like a Tesla. Sure, some people have made super lightweight EV's with fold-out panels or tiltable roof arrays, and they've managed to travel across sunny landscapes with them. But full Arizona summer sunlight and the top surface of a Tesla coated with solar cells - and it's still only going to be a tiny fraction of the power it needs to drive around.

For a 15? x 6? car (assuming you could use the windscreen as a solar cell too) you?d have about 13kW (with 100% efficient panels that do not actually exist yet or maybe ever), then you would have as much power as a 1.5L VW Rabbit Diesel running on 2 cylinders.
 
You mean solar cells mounted on a car itself, powering it?

Because Elon is involved with home solar and battery storage.

And a car simply doesn't have enough surface area to generate enough electricity to make much of a difference. At least, not a big fat heavy fast thing like a Tesla. Sure, some people have made super lightweight EV's with fold-out panels or tiltable roof arrays, and they've managed to travel across sunny landscapes with them. But full Arizona summer sunlight and the top surface of a Tesla coated with solar cells - and it's still only going to be a tiny fraction of the power it needs to drive around.

He's kind of involved. Solar roof seemed to have started and stopped. I was a bit excited about the idea of solar roof and disappointed that it appears to have died for now.
 
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