Auto innovation has been improving over the years, with electric cars the current trend in a mission to reduce carbon emissions in the air by a huge percent. EVs are run by electricity and powered by charging docks placed at home or limited locations in cities.
However, there are some questions to electric car companies that make this model, especially to Tesla who leads in the category: Where are the solar panels? Can it be charged with solar panels?
As it turns out, it is highly possible.
Tesla Model 3 Solar Roof Experiment
One Youtuber with the channel "The Tech of Tech" experimented with his Tesla Model 3 EV, using solar panels to charge the car. And it worked!
The experiment, however, involves 120W solar panels by Bluetti, which can produce 1800 hours worth of power.There is also two kW-h power station that acts as a go-between since there is no way to get DC power from solar panels directly into the Tesla Model 3 battery, and solar panels from sun power.
With solar panel technology on the rise, the content creator experimented with letting its audience know that it is possible to charge a Tesla Model 3 or any EV with solar panels. However, he did note that the experiment is not a sufficient setup, nor a cost-effective setup and so he will not recommend someone to buy the said tools to try it.
The Youtuber charged his Tesla Model 3 with already 242 miles of range on the battery. To charge the EV, first, the content creator turned on the AC outlets, plugged in the bonded plug with a splitter that allows that mobile connector to work, and plugged it in the car. He also noted that turning off the sentry mode, cabin heat protection, and more, except the car itself, reduces the amount of power used for the Tesla Model 3.
Also Read: Elon Musk Reveals First Images Of Tesla Model 3 Production Unit On Twitter
In time, the solar panel setup produced 1300W more output and 240W input on the Tesla Model 3 in a 43 percent charge. The car was also parked in a tilted position, so the sun's angle will be directed to the solar panels. In an hour of charging, the Tesla Model 3 has accumulated 249 miles of range, adding seven miles--which is already pretty impressive.
According to InsideEVs, the solar panel experiment could work, but not really enough for the cost as solar panels are expensive. Hopefully, as technology improves and costs come down, this will become more common in the future.
The solar panel charging method can work with the Tesla Model 3 or any other electric car in the market while camping outdoors. Obviously, the said charging method cannot be done while driving.
Why Electric Cars Will Not Have Solar-Panel Charging Features?
According to Quartz, Teslas and other electric vehicles will not have solar panels because cars are usually parked in garages. The surface of the car is not wide enough to put on solar panels. With that said, the least efficient place to put solar roof is on the car.
Meanwhile, other electric car companies like Karma Revero had an actual solar roof as an option. However, the car can only generate 15-20 percent of the energy that reaches it, meaning that eight hours of sunshine bathing will get the driver 1.5 miles of range, while a Tesla Model can give the driver 200 miles in the same time frame.
To conclude, solar panel charging will not be useful to generate enough power to run long distances but can be a necessity for emergency purposes.
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