Covered In Solar Panels

[Elio Amazed]

The Scion. An EV completely covered by solar panels. https://sonomotors.com/sion.html/

 

[johnsnownw]

The Scion. An EV completely covered by solar panels. https://sonomotors.com/sion.html/

Completely pointless. There isn't enough real estate, nor solar panels at ideal angles, to provide a meaningful amount of power...certainly not enough to charge the batteries sufficiently.

Projects like this give BEVs a bad name.

 

[Made in USA]

Reminds me of a Lincoln at House on the Rock that was completely covered with blue ceramic tiles. The owner apparently did not like paint and wanted something more durable. It became so heavy that the suspension bottomed out.

As for solar cells, they also will add weight that will take energy to move. Might also make the vehicle more top heavy. The efficiencies of solar cells are getting better every day, but they need to be much more efficient to be viable on a vehicle. Now the top and sides of a semi trailer would be a better application, but again the weight counts against it. Look up Solar Roadways for a better solution.

http://www.solarroadways.com/Home/Index

 

[Maurtis]

From the Sion's website: "Under proper conditions the solar cells generate enough energy, to cover 30 kilometers per day with the Sion."

So under ideal conditions (which likely our driveways are not) you can optimally get 18 miles of charge per day with the solar panels alone. Meh. For most commuters that means plugging in anyway so defeats the purpose. And certainly not meaningful as a range extender for long drives. It would be nice for people who leave their cars parked at airports while they travel for business maybe?

 

[RSchneider]

From the Sion's website: "Under proper conditions the solar cells generate enough energy, to cover 30 kilometers per day with the Sion."

Ideal conditions are if you live in New Mexico, Arizona, southwest Texas, or Australia. These guys are based in Germany and I suspect their perfect conditions are not based in that country at all. Probably the places where I mentioned because there's plenty of classes/books/documentation where those are the ideal locations with the panels directly perpendicular to the suns rays. As for most other locations and a non flat panel surface that is not lagged to be immovable in the ground, expect at least 50% efficiency. In the end, it doesn't matter. If they come to the US, they just put the "forward looking statement" disclaimer in there, then everything is fine. It can somehow be done with enough VC money.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Completely pointless. There isn't enough real estate, nor solar panels at ideal angles, to provide a meaningful amount of power...certainly not enough to charge the batteries sufficiently.

Projects like this give BEVs a bad name.

They claim it adds 18 miles per day.
I'm retired, but when I was working, work was 5.5 miles from home.

I definitely see your point.
But... some people go nuts for this kind of thing, practicality be damned.
Case in point... There are other companies offering options of a few roof panels on their EVs.

 

[Ty]

It seems possible, in quite a few circumstances that you could drive to work, park outside, and let the sun recharge the car which eliminates having to pay for electricity to charge it. Of course, it can only recharge so much...

 

[johnsnownw]

They claim it adds 18 miles per day. I'm retired, but when I was working, work was 5.5 miles from home.

They'd have to show their work. The fact is if the vehicle is sitting out in the sun only a few of the panels will even be hit with light, and even fewer at an efficient angle. I'd be surprised if it can even pick up 4 miles of range per day, in the middle of summer, at the equator.

 

[Elio Amazed]

As for solar cells, they also will add weight that will take energy to move. Might also make the vehicle more top heavy.

Not necessarily. Flexible solar sheets (which these probably are from the looks of them) are amazingly light.

 

[Travelbuzz1]

I think this has been discussed before and I don't think the Elio has the capacity for the electric drive train and batteries.