Solar panel glass roof

[Blue highway]

I never asked if it was useful or justifiable. I asked what it would take/cost to produce. ? I see value in an added trickle charge.

people pay a lot for cool... where I live they pay even more for virtue signaling... but I prefer the benefits of parking in the shade or in a structure over the inconsequentially small charge that is available from translucent panels.

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[Mach-e4x]

It's a perfectly good addition for those who camp, and for someone who uses accessories, or just an additional power source while driving. I fully understand that it doesn't add a ton of power, but having a constant source trickle in would be nice without being tethered to a plug. I get that it might not be worth it to some, but there is definite value to others. Especially as solar panel efficiency improves.

Yes it could help the 12 volt battery when parked and while using dash cams that are always on.

 

[youdiscussedme]

Yes it could help the 12 volt battery when parked and while using dash cams that are always on.

That was definitely what my mind tended towards.

 

[youdiscussedme]

people pay a lot for cool... where I live they pay even more for virtue signaling... but I prefer the benefits of parking in the shade or in a structure over the inconsequentially small charge that is available from translucent panels.

Great. I live in NM, and the benefit of it wouldn't necessarily be negligible over the life of the vehicle.

 

[devmach-e]

It's a perfectly good addition for those who camp, and for someone who uses accessories, or just an additional power source while driving. I fully understand that it doesn't add a ton of power, but having a constant source trickle in would be nice without being tethered to a plug. I get that it might not be worth it to some, but there is definite value to others. Especially as solar panel efficiency improves.

If you are camping, you would be better served by getting a portable solar panel and battery setup from someone like GoalZero or Anker.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Won't happen, the tiny energy output wouldn't justify the cost and added complexity. With non-ideal sun angle the output would probably be less than 100W. The efficiency loss with the voltage up-conversion from 48V to 350V DC would also be large. All told, it would take approximately 4 months of 12 hour/day full sun to fully charge the Mach-E. As others have suggested, you would be better off to bring your own panels in the trunk while camping, that would have much higher output since they could be moved and angled towards the sun.

Solar panels on the roof seem like a "great idea" on the surface, but once you crunch the numbers they don't have any benefit. The would only be able to charge your vehicle at a rate about 0.07% per hour of full sun, or 175 times slower than L2 charging.

 

[RedStallion]

You would get more power from wind than solar. That's also a lot cheaper. Just glue compact wind turbines to the roof and you are good to go.

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/01/...-your-electric-car-and-you-can-drive-forever/

 

[steve.panse]

As many have said, the minuscule energy isn’t worth it. Besides, I try to keep the car out of the sun as much as possible for paint and material longevity.

 

[engnrng]

I recall there was a Prius, maybe the 2d Generation Prius, which did have a small solar panel... and it ran that Prius's tilt skylight fan in hot weather to get the heat out of the cabin.

2012 Prius. My daughter bought one used with less than 5,000 miles on it. It has about a 1/2 square meter solar panel that runs an exhaust fan to reduce cabin heat when parked in the sun. Works quite well. She doesn't use the car much anymore, works from home office. You can hear the fan running any time the sun is shining on the top of the car. Note: it draws in ambient air, so the fan keeps the cabin from getting warmer than ambient. The A/C does not also run.

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