cleantechnica.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
151.101.130.207
Public Scan
URL:
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/09/15/diy-experimenters-still-making-progress-on-solar-cars/
Submission: On October 11 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Submission: On October 11 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 2 forms found in the DOM
GET https://cleantechnica.com/
<form method="get" id="zox-search-form" action="https://cleantechnica.com/">
<input type="text" name="s" id="zox-search-input" value="Search" onfocus="if (this.value == "Search") { this.value = ""; }" onblur="if (this.value == "Search") { this.value = ""; }">
<input type="submit" id="zox-search-submit" value="Search">
</form><form id="jp-carousel-comment-form">
<label for="jp-carousel-comment-form-comment-field" class="screen-reader-text">Write a Comment...</label>
<textarea name="comment" class="jp-carousel-comment-form-field jp-carousel-comment-form-textarea" id="jp-carousel-comment-form-comment-field" placeholder="Write a Comment..."></textarea>
<div id="jp-carousel-comment-form-submit-and-info-wrapper">
<div id="jp-carousel-comment-form-commenting-as">
<fieldset>
<label for="jp-carousel-comment-form-email-field">Email (Required)</label>
<input type="text" name="email" class="jp-carousel-comment-form-field jp-carousel-comment-form-text-field" id="jp-carousel-comment-form-email-field">
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label for="jp-carousel-comment-form-author-field">Name (Required)</label>
<input type="text" name="author" class="jp-carousel-comment-form-field jp-carousel-comment-form-text-field" id="jp-carousel-comment-form-author-field">
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label for="jp-carousel-comment-form-url-field">Website</label>
<input type="text" name="url" class="jp-carousel-comment-form-field jp-carousel-comment-form-text-field" id="jp-carousel-comment-form-url-field">
</fieldset>
</div>
<input type="submit" name="submit" class="jp-carousel-comment-form-button" id="jp-carousel-comment-form-button-submit" value="Post Comment">
</div>
</form>Text Content
* #270639 (no title)
* #270646 (no title)
* #270647 (no title)
* #270651 (no title)
* #275264 (no title)
* #213858 (no title)
* #215263 (no title)
* #200420 (no title)
* #215290 (no title)
* 70%, 80%, 99.9%, 100% Renewables — Study Central
* About Wind Energy / Why Wind Energy
* Advertise with CleanTechnica
* Advertising
* Aftermarket Tesla Accessories
* Authors
* Branded Series
* Calendar
* Clean Energy
* Clean tech and sustainability market research
* Cleantech Billionaires
* Cleantech Glossary
* Cleantech Jobs
* Submit a Resumé
* CleanTech Talk
* CleanTechnica Comment Policy
* CleanTechnica Editorial Ethics
* CleanTechnica Newsletters
* CleanTechnica’s Shop!
* Climate Change Solutions: Why 1.5°C Is So Important
* Community Solar Power Guide
* Contact CleanTechnica
* Contract
* Electric Vehicle Charging
* Electric Vehicle Sales Charts, Graphs, & Stats
* Energy Storage
* Engage Global Competition: Technology for a Sustainable Future
* General Inquiries
* Get Your Cleantech Event Featured!
* Home Efficiency
* How Do You Charge An Electric Car At Home?
* How To Charge An Electric Vehicle — 101
* How To Improve Storage In A Tesla
* Invest in CleanTechnica
* Letters to tomorrow
* Manage Job Listings
* MASSIVE Electric Bike Buyer’s Guide — All the Biggest Brands & Models
* Microgrids Explained
* Mission and Vision
* Native Content Guidelines
* NIO ES8 — The Chinese Electric SUV Outselling The Tesla Model X
* Nukes, Renewables, and the Union of Concerned Scientists
* Our Team
* Press Release Publication
* Privacy Policy
* Reality Check — Correcting the Cleantech Record
* REGISTRATION TESTER
* Renewable Energy Sources
* Resources For Solar Installers
* Solar Energy
* Solar Energy Resources
* Solar Panel Installers — Top Solar Panel Installers & How To Evaluate Them
* Solar Power
* Sponsor CleanTechnica
* Stay Connected With CleanTechnica
* Style Guide — Draft
* Support CleanTechnica
* Sustainable Business Virtual Trade Show
* Switching to an Electric Fleet – Learn About Charging, Payments, & More
* Syndicate Our Content
* Terms of Use
* Tesla Insurance
* Tesla Myths & FAQ
* Test
* Top Clean Energy Resources
* Trusted Partners
* Upcoming CleanTech Events
* Use of CleanTechnica Content
* Vanadium Flow Batteries Demystified
* Wind Energy
* Wind Energy Facts
* Wind Energy Resources
* World’s Top Cleantech Site
* Xpeng G3
* Xpeng P7
Connect with us
*
*
*
Hi, what are you looking for?
CLEANTECHNICA
* Clean Energy
* Solar Energy
* Wheatbridge Hybrid Wind, Solar, & Storage Facility Opens In Oregon
* Why Aptera’s Vehicle Solar Panel Design Is Bigger News For The EV
Industry Than We Think
* Lessons From A Battery Sharing Program In Hawaii — It Isn’t Easy Being
Green
* Microgrids As A Service
* Solar Community Slammed By Hurricane Ian: “Our Lights Stayed On”
* Wind Energy
* Wheatbridge Hybrid Wind, Solar, & Storage Facility Opens In Oregon
* Microgrids As A Service
* Sexy/Unsexy, Practical/Impractical: Let’s Talk Atmospheric Carbon
Drawdown’s Hype Vs Reality
* Australian Spatial Analytics — Autism to the Rescue
* Michigan Has Potential To Reduce Emissions By Over 94%
* Geothermal Energy
* Your Rechargeable Batteries Need Lithium. Geothermal Energy Could Soon
Help. (Surprise Video)
* On the Road to 100% Clean Electricity: 6 Potential Strategies To Break
Through Last Few Percent
* President William Ruto Sworn In, Reaffirms Kenya’s Commitment To
Transition To 100% Clean Energy By 2030
* New Lithium StoryMap & the Future of Electrification
* Enhanced Geothermal Technology Cracks The 24/7 Energy Code
* Energy Storage
* Wheatbridge Hybrid Wind, Solar, & Storage Facility Opens In Oregon
* The US Military Is Buying Ultium Battery Packs From GM Defense
* Lessons From A Battery Sharing Program In Hawaii — It Isn’t Easy Being
Green
* Microgrids As A Service
* Battery State of Health — What is It? Why is It Important?
* Smart Grid
* Volvo EX90 Will Feature App-Based AC & DC Bi-Directional Charging
* Want Energy Resilience? Invest Locally In Community Solar, Rooftop
Solar, Heat Pumps, EVs
* East Bay Customers Support California’s Grid During Extreme Heat Wave
Through Innovative Program
* NY Governor Hochul Announces Winner of 2022 New York–Israel Smart Energy
Innovation Challenge
* Biden–Harris Admin Launches $10.5 Billion Investment to Strengthen
America’s Electric Grid
* Energy Efficiency
* Sexy/Unsexy, Practical/Impractical: Residential, Commercial, &
Industrial Heat Is Serious Business
* It Ain’t Easy: Affordable Electric RVing When The Family Wants American
Luxury
* Want Energy Resilience? Invest Locally In Community Solar, Rooftop
Solar, Heat Pumps, EVs
* How Will Future Climate Impact The Design & Performance Of Nearly Zero
Energy Buildings (NZEBs)?
* Next-Generation Abrams Tank & Stryker To Be Hybrids
* EVs
* All EV News & Analysis
* Minnesota State Begins Training Hybrid & Electric Car Technicians
* It Ain’t Easy: Affordable Electric RVing When The Family Wants American
Luxury
* Why Aptera’s Vehicle Solar Panel Design Is Bigger News For The EV
Industry Than We Think
* Honda’s Prologue Design Reveal Shows It Is Serious About Honda EVs
* Tesla Model Y Germany’s Best Selling Vehicle in September, Beating
Iconic VW Golf
* EV Sales
* EV Total Cost of Ownership
* EV Reviews
* All Reviews
* Westward Ho! 1500 Miles in My Tesla Model 3 Long Range with 2 Mountain
Ebikes: Cost, Supercharging, Tips
* Grecell Portable Power Stations (300W, 1000W, & 2000W) — CleanTechnica
Review
* Tesla FSD Beta 10.69 Road Trip Test — Part 1
* From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric
* Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai
Kona Electric This Time
* Tesla News
* Tesla Model 3 Long-Term Review
* Tesla Model S Long-Term Review
* Exclusives
* CleanTechnica Analysis
* Tesla Model Y Germany’s Best Selling Vehicle in September, Beating
Iconic VW Golf
* France’s BEVs Grow By A Third YoY, Renault Megane Unassailable
* UK EV Share Grows, Tesla Model Y Overall Runner Up
* Tesla Model Y Is Best Selling Automobile In Switzerland In 2022, Tesla
Model 3 is 3rd Best
* Norway’s Plugin Growth Flat In September, BEV Share Up
* CleanTechnica Reports
* CleanTechnica Reviews
* Westward Ho! 1500 Miles in My Tesla Model 3 Long Range with 2 Mountain
Ebikes: Cost, Supercharging, Tips
* Grecell Portable Power Stations (300W, 1000W, & 2000W) — CleanTechnica
Review
* Tesla FSD Beta 10.69 Road Trip Test — Part 1
* From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric
* Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai Kona
Electric This Time
* CleanTechnica Videos
* Mazda MX-30 EV vs. Tesla Model 3 — Ultimate EV Battle Bracket
* Exploring XPeng’s Self-Driving Tech Live — 1 Hour+, No Interventions!
* 2022 Nissan Leaf S Plus — CleanTechnica Review (VIDEO)
* Ford F-150 Lightning — CleanTechnica Review
* Tesla Q4 Shareholder Conference Call — Watch & Listen Here
* CleanTechnica.TV (YouTube)
* Cleantech Talk (Our Podcast)
* Series Pages
* EV Charging
* EV Fleet Charging
* How to Charge An EV At Home
* Fast Home EV Charging
* Aftermarket Tesla Accessories
* Home Efficiency
* Microgrids
* Vanadium Flow Batteries Demystified
* About
* Connect With CleanTechnica
* Become a Subscriber
* Support CleanTechnica
* Contact Us
* Advertise
* Our Team
* Editorial Ethics
* Mission & Vision
* Invest
* Privacy Policy
* RSS
* Syndicate Our Content
CLEAN POWER
DIY EXPERIMENTERS STILL MAKING PROGRESS ON SOLAR CARS
While directly powering a vehicle’s electric motor with on-vehicle panels is
still pretty far out of the question, using relatively low-power solar cells to
charge a battery shows a lot more promise.
By
Jennifer Sensiba
Published
September 15, 2020
47 Comments
With home/rooftop solar, a growing number of EV drivers are doing most of their
driving on home-generated solar power. Solar panels mounted on vehicles
themselves, on the other hand, have been the subject of well-deserved
skepticism. But is this skepticism still well deserved in 2020?
Photo provided by James at RealSolarCars.com
While directly powering a vehicle’s electric motor with on-vehicle panels is
still pretty far out of the question (outside of very impractical experimental
cars), using relatively low-power solar cells to charge a battery shows a lot
more promise. Universities and companies with fairly deep pockets have been
experimenting with battery-solar vehicles for decades, with some fairly good
progress recently.
For example, Toyota has a Prius Prime prototype that adds 27 miles of driving
range per day in good conditions, while Sono Motors estimates its cars can add
19 miles of range per day with typical German solar conditions. 15-30 miles of
range isn’t enough for onboard solar to be a car’s only power source, but it can
cover most of the average driver’s needs while leaving the rest to grid charging
or home solar.
On the other hand, on-vehicle solar panels have to make financial sense to car
buyers. Sure, a vehicle with the best commercially available panels (ex. Sono
Motors), or even expensive experimental panels (ex. Toyota’s prototype) can do
amazing things, but if the panels cost too much, they negate most of the
advantage one can gain from charging with them. The price can’t exceed the
benefits if we are to expect mass adoption.
One way we can gauge a technology’s cost is how accessible it is for the DIY
crowd. If people without deep corporate or governmental pockets can successfully
use a technology, it’s probably something an automaker can offer even cheaper.
DIY experimenters don’t have the advantage of mass production, bulk purchasing
from suppliers, and an array of experts to help implement the solution. With
those advantages, the cost per mile of added daily range can be lower.
Last year, I wrote about Sam Elliot’s solar Nissan LEAF. With its degraded
battery pack, his recently-purchased used LEAF could get him to work, but
couldn’t quite get him home. His workplace doesn’t offer EV charging, so he had
to find another way to add a few more miles, leading to his solar charging
project. His recent video update tells us about his expanded slide-out solar
panels, improved…
In the above video, we learn about how Sam’s setup has improved over time. He’s
been adding additional panels, including some that slide out for more surface
area while parked. While more cells on more panels helps raise the number of
miles added, Sam still struggles with the inability to directly charge the
LEAF’s pack, instead relying on a somewhat complicated system of extra
batteries, an inverter, a timer, and an EVSE. It works, but it’s probably a lot
more trouble than most people would want in a solar car.
He interviews James, whose electronics skills helped him put that solar power
directly into a Chevy Volt’s battery pack. It required a custom circuit board
and several connections under the hood, but it didn’t require opening up the
battery pack, so it’s probably the best approach so far to add solar to cars
that weren’t built that way. On his site, he gives detailed stats for the last
several days of driving. While gaining around 1 kWh per day (around 4 miles for
a Volt) is far from impressive compared to home solar and automaker efforts,
it’s only using two solar panels to do this. Custom panels covering most of the
vehicle would give results a lot closer to what we’re seeing with Sono or Toyota
above.
Between what both the automakers and these two DIY tinkerers have done, we are
starting to see how this all could end up working in the mass market. Obviously,
surface area is going to be important for any solar-battery car. More area means
more range added, so most of the car’s surface is going to need to be covered
for flush-mounted installs. While parked, though, vehicles could do what Sam’s
LEAF and the Solarrolla/Route del Sol van do: fold out more and more panels to
get closer to the kind of power you can get from a home rooftop setup. Even Elon
Musk seems warm to the idea:
While still probably not up to what most drivers would want in a solar vehicle,
the technology is advancing rapidly and isn’t going to be worthy of skepticism
forever.
Appreciate CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech news coverage? Consider
becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or
a patron on Patreon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't want to miss a cleantech story? Sign up for daily news updates from
CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for
our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Twitter
* LinkedIn
* Facebook
In this article:solar cars
Written By Jennifer Sensiba
Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and
photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting
with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to
explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals. Follow her on
Twitter for her latest articles and other random things:
https://twitter.com/JenniferSensiba
Comments
Comments
#1 most loved electric vehicle, solar energy, and battery news & analysis site
in the world.
Support our work today!
POWER CLEANTECHNICA: $3/MONTH
Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly
readers.
TRENDING
CLEAN TRANSPORT
OP-ED: US SHOULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS — OUR
HEALTH & CLIMATE DEPEND ON IT
COAL
AUSTRALIA IS RUSHING TO EXIT COAL
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
3 SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE STORIES YOU PROBABLY MISSED — FROM MOBILE/INTEL, ARGO AI,
& WAYMO
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
GEORGE HOTZ: SELF-DRIVING CARS ARE A SCAM
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TESLA FSD AND CRUISE, ARGO AI, & WAYMO YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE
NOTICED
TESLA NEWS
EV REVIEWS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
CARS
HYMER PUTS VENTURE S SOLAR-POWERED RV INTO PRODUCTION
If you work hard and save money, you too can live in a van down by the river.
Jo BorrásSeptember 28, 2022
CARS
SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC CAR THAT CLEANS THE AIR WHILE DRIVING — ZEM
TU Eindhoven students develop passenger car that captures more CO₂ than it emits
while driving TU Eindhoven student team TU/ecomotive has developed a sustainable
electric passenger...
Guest ContributorJuly 23, 2022
CLEAN TRANSPORT
ASU GIVES US A DEEPER LOOK INTO SOLAR CAR COMPETITIONS
Unlike many press releases we see about solar car races, a recent one from
Arizona State University gives us a lot more detail on...
Jennifer SensibaJune 27, 2022
CARS
FROM SOLAR RACE CARS TO SUBURBAN RUNABOUTS — THE NORTHERN TERRITORY EV
TRANSITION
The Northern Territory of Australia has long been associated with the biennial
World Solar Car Challenge. Solar cars are lightweight EVs powered solely by...
David WaterworthJanuary 29, 2022
Copyright © 2021 CleanTechnica. The content produced by this site is for
entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may
not be sanctioned by and do not necessarily represent the views of
CleanTechnica, its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Loading Comments...
Write a Comment...
Email (Required) Name (Required) Website