PWNdaddy
Member
- First Name
- Chris
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2023
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 44
- Location
- Texas
- Vehicles
- 2023 AWD Premium Extended Range

If you're talking about making a difference on long trips, or simply referencing current-gen solar power, you're correct. No doubt. But for short commutes, solar efficiency is good enough to supplement most needs. If memory serves me well (please feel free to correct me), the potential for solar is 1.4 kWh per square meter. Actual efficiency is usually around 20% of that, and real-world daylight hours will vary based on location. Squeezing a few square meters of current-gen solar panels would be equivalent to the L1 Ford charger, at least here in sunny Austin, Tx.There isn’t enough surface area on a car for adding solar panels to be all that effective.
I'm a technological optimist, though. High-efficiency solar panels approach 50% efficiency (not sure if this is consumer tech yet). I couldn't state the efficiency off the top of my head, but researchers have also been able to produce solar power using a specialized paint that could be put on houses, as well as cars, roads, boats, etc.
If you put next-gen batteries (more lightweight) AND next-gen solar in a vehicle with a lower drag coefficient, you've got a clear recipe for success. The EV market will organically lead in this direction as the technology develops. It could be in 10 years, but this is where we are headed. Check out the Lightyear 2 EV.
Also, although I'm 39, the MME is the first new vehicle I've ever purchased. My last car was a 2013 C-Max that I took as my wife's hand-me-down. Before that was her hand-me-down 2009 Corolla, and before that was a 2002 Expedition I bought for $2500 on Craigslist. I'm 100% a "gadget guy" and not at all a "car guy." I love my car because of the tech in it and couldn't care less about anything else.
The tech for solar, L3 (and beyond), and more efficient batteries will be here sooner than many people think. When it arrives, I'll be right here. Until then, I will drive my MME indefinitely with a big smile on my face!
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