On the other hand: most cars are not moved 23h a day. They just stand around.
A lightweight solar panel could be a worthwhile range extender in at least some climates.
Comment on Why don't electric car manufacurers put solar panels on the car roofs?
Doombot1@lemmy.one 5 months ago
Doesn’t provide enough power for the cost of the cells, plus having to clean and upkeep them. And the more material you cover them with (to protect them; solar cells are INCREDIBLY fragile), the less efficient they are. I was on a solar car team in college and the cells are so fragile that to clean them, we had to use new microfiber cloths every time. Any dust would scratch and ruin them (which made it quite tough when I drove across the outback in the thing). We kept our cells completely uncovered because we needed maximum efficiency - but even with a super light carbon fiber solar car that’s got very minimal tire contact patches, specialized tires from Bridgestone, and a very aerodynamic shape (plus no amenities like A/C), I think our car could sustain something like 10-15 km/h on a perfectly sunny day in the middle of the outback. It just doesn’t add enough on a huge, heavy EV
agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 5 months ago
zbyte64@awful.systems 5 months ago
On the other hand: most trips are made to the exact same place, why move solar panels around when you could just leave them in place (especially if the car isn’t moving for 23hr)?
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
On the other hand: most cars are not moved 23h a day. They just stand around.
Ot doesn’t take much shade to have a signifigant reduction in the output of a solar panel.
Unless you are parking in an open field with no trees or tall buildings around your power generation will be signifigantly reduced.
Not that the amount of power generated by a panel the size of a car roof is not all that much, even under ideal conditions.
Doombot1@lemmy.one 5 months ago
Exactly. And what’s worth remembering is that solar cars tend to be something like 2X longer then normal cars, and cover the entire surface except for windshield with panels. No rear windshield, either.
Cryophilia@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I’ve seen some prototype solar panels that roll up like a carpet for easy storage. Keep it in the trunk, lay it out when you’re gonna be parked somewhere for a while.
Sidhean@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Now THIS is podracing
fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 5 months ago
And more weight means less range.
morphballganon@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Having solar cells uncovered by glass is baffling
Doombot1@lemmy.one 5 months ago
Yeah, it’s certainly a good thing it doesn’t hail in the outback lmao
Dasus@lemmy.world 5 months ago
So a solar golf cart might be doable?
GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
A 9v battery powered skateboard is viable if you pick the right combination of weight, speed, and distance. Doesn’t mean it’s going to change the world.