Vault Mounted solar panel system

[SparkChaser]

From Tesla Cybertruck (@TeslaCybertruck) / Twitter

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[ÆCIII]

I think this is one of the first animated demos of solar that I've seen which has some viability, because I think an extendable solar array approach for charging is definitely needed because a lot of collection area is needed.

Those who keep thinking a fixed solar collection Tonneau cover alone would be enough, are not really actuating real world charging needs or practicality IMO. Yes, that would provide a trickle charge amount, but IMO it would be sacrificing the durability of the cover at much greater expense for much less practical benefit in return.

My idea has always been to have something like an expandable solar array on a trailer and then have the solar array even larger. Stopping to charge might definitely draw some attention though.

Still would be interesting if someone made such a trailer and then took a trip with it towed by the Cybertruck deep into territories very isolated with no charging infrastructure or electricity just as a proof of concept. Places like the Australian outback, Siberia, or the Alaskan highway come to mind for such a test.

- ÆCIII

 

[swengl]

An extendable solar array would need to be a few things in order to really be viable:

1) affordable: if it costs a fortune, any monetary benefit of using it would be negated
2) easy to install/remove: The CT is designed for versatility and the Vault space needs to be accessed easily.
3) efficient: this one is tied to #1 and #2: an extendable array should only be as big as it really needs to be. It should provide enough charging / session to warrant the cost and the extra effort of installing/removing it when you don't need it.
4) portable: it should not take up much space in the vault so that you can still utilize the Vault AND store the array for travel
5) reliable/durable: if you are going to invest in something like this, it is going to need to last and be able to take some abuse in the back of the CT.

A nice to have: the ability to track the sun automatically so that you don't have to always position the CT perfectly to capture the energy.

I really hope that Tesla offers a built-in solution (in the tonneau), but having an extendable solar array would also be a welcome accessory for when you need the ability to charge off the grid.

 

[S.H.Peterson]

A middle ground may exist in newer super flexible photovoltaic sheets/films that can be rolled up.
Think of it like this:
You park and an arm rises and extends upwards and outwards unrolling a large sheet. It would not beable to sun track BUT it would be far less complicated, cheaper, and take up less room/weight.
Sort of likea sunsetter awning that makes power.

 

[TyPope]

We know the CT has attachment points for racks. I'd be happy with a flat rack that could slide in rails to "open" the bed. I'm thinking of a flat sheet that is connected to two rails that run from the back corners right up to the apex of the truck. Maybe there's a little air gap between the sheet and the truck. Anyway, during normal operation, the thing covers the entire back window and bed giving you maybe 40 ft sq of solar array.

When you need to get in the bed, you just unlatch the thing and slide it forward. Maybe it's sprung so it goes up and you have to pull it back down with a strap.

Anyway, current panels can make 20 Watts per square foot... so, 800 Watts? In 8 hours while I'm at work and my truck is positioned in (sure, I'll say it) ideal conditions, it should produce 6.4KwHs. at 2.5 miles per 1kwh, that could be up to 16 miles of range per day... minus vampiric loss = not a lot. But, it's 15.6 miles of a commute for me. If I parked outside during the weekend, it should theoretically be possible to spend the summer not ever having to plug in my truck.

Okay, I'm aware there wouldn't be any tracking, trucks could block my sun, etc... But, I DO travel frequently for several days at a time. My truck parked at the airport outside would at least not be dead when I got back. In fact, I SHOULD be able to arrive at the airport "on fumes" and by the time I got back, my truck could be charged up enough for the ride home. THAT would be nice.

Necessary? No. Practical? No. But, nice. Sort of like 2.9 seconds to 60 mph...

 

[cvalue13]

Necessary? No. Practical? No. But, nice.

But the thrust of it is: what would you pay for it as an option?

I’d assume that any such system that is ruggedized enough (to not just be a maintenance money pit) would be an option that costs….

… $3,500?

In Austin, average all-in electricity cost is ~$0.13 / kWh

I think that’s an ROI tipping point of 26,923kWh

At your estimate of 6.4KwHs/8hr workday in optimal conditions, isn’t that 4,200 days - or 11.5 years - of charging in optimal conditions before breakeven?

even if my option cost estimate of $3,500 is off by an order of magnitude (or two), then on the other side of the equation subtract for cloudy days. Or consider what that $3,500 would be after equivalent time in a market index fund?

but if instead like your hypothetical, it’s free - then why not!

 

[SparkChaser]

I think the extendable awning with flexible, light weight panels may be possible at some point . The case for off grid camping is where this makes the most sense to me. Parking lots are not too keen on you taking up huge foot prints.
having an extendable awning mounted on the rack above the vault leaves the vault free for gear and means you could leave it on with limited added drag. Having 4-6 times the square feet of the rack system would be by the math above provide or 160- 240 Sf That means 60+ miles a day range added or provided for use during your stay.
This would provide a shade structure for camping and keep the truck cooler as well.
lots of problems to be solved but there aremany smart people out there

 

[SolarWizard]

I’ve yet to see one portable, lightweight panel that is durable enough to be stowed in a reasonable fashion, forgetting it being strong enough to be deployed in anything but a very low wind day.

Maybe the CT will have solar glass above the rear passengers but thats not enough ft2 to do much, maybe help offset some of the climate controls for dog mode

maybe they will come up with a way to make the vault cover solar but the wiring will definitely be problematic over time, again though its not a big area.

 

[Rutrow]

With only tonneau solar, could a CyberTruck, sitting in the sun all day for a week, recharge enough to make it from the Black Rock Desert to Fernley? ???

 

[cvalue13]

With only tonneau solar, could a CyberTruck, sitting in the sun all day for a week, recharge enough to make it from the Black Rock Desert to Fernley? ???

~115mi/7days = ~16.5mi/day

Anyway, current panels can make 20 Watts per square foot... so, 800 Watts? In 8 hours while I'm at work and my truck is positioned in (sure, I'll say it) ideal conditions, it should produce 6.4KwHs. at 2.5 miles per 1kwh, that could be up to 16 miles of range per day... minus vampiric loss = not a lot.

using TyPope’s generation estimate, seems so

but TyPope’s estimate basically assumes no clouds, and you continuously reposition the panel/truck directly toward the sun throughout the day

??‍

 

[charliemagpie]

As a Grey Nomad, I would probably be at any place for at least 2 weeks, and maybe no more than 300k between stops.

The trickle solar feed will support the trickle use, and would extend the gaps between supercharging.
If I stayed longer, and fished more... I may even forget the last time I used a supercharger.

 

[firsttruck]

.....
Okay, I'm aware there wouldn't be any tracking, trucks could block my sun, etc... But, I DO travel frequently for several days at a time. My truck parked at the airport outside would at least not be dead when I got back. In fact, I SHOULD be able to arrive at the airport "on fumes" and by the time I got back, my truck could be charged up enough for the ride home. THAT would be nice.

Necessary? No. Practical? No. But, nice. Sort of like 2.9 seconds to 60 mph...

Arrive at the airport (or campsite) in a truck with a battery pack of almost completely depleted electrons and by the time I am ready to leave week/s later my truck could be charged up enough for the ride home would not be ONLY "nice" it would be GREAT (almost magically
In these locations where there are no charging facilities, the capital costs of solar is worth much more than $0.15-0.40/KwH of standard home or commercial DC fast charge.

Much more practical than 2.9 seconds to 60 mph. In some locations solar charging would be used many multiple orders of magnitude more minutes than hyper-car acceleration.

The Model Y Performance is $7K-10K more than Model Y AWD.
A solar option for Cybertruck might be more valuable to some people.

Ford sells about 1 million Ford F-150 series full-size pickups units a year around the world. Supposedly about 20 percent of those sales are outside the US. The largest markets for full-size F-150 series pickups are probably U.S. Canada, Mexico, Australia, Turkey Argentina, Chile.
Also need to add non-U.S. sales of full-size pickups of GMC/Chevy 1500/2500, RAM 1500/2500, Toyota, Nissan.

The largest potential markets for full-size Cybertruck might be U.S. Canada, Mexico, Australia, Turkey Argentina, Chile, China. Many of these countries have large areas with very good solar photovoltaic power potential.

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These Are Officially The 12 Sunniest States In The United States
Written by Taiwo Victor Updated: May 8, 2023
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/these-are-officially-the-12-sunniest-states-in-the-united-states/

.....
Summary Of The Sunniest States In The United States
Rank | State | Avg Sun in Kilojoules Per Square Meter
12 Arkansas 4,724 kJ/m²
11 Louisiana 4,725 kJ/m²
10 Florida 4,859 kJ/m²
9 Utah 4,887 kJ/m²
8 Kansas 4,890 kJ/m²
7 Oklahoma 4,912 kJ/m²
6 Colorado 4,960 kJ/m²
5 California 5,050 kJ/m²
4 Texas 5,137 kJ/m²
3 Nevada 5,296 kJ/m²
2 New Mexico 5,642 kJ/m²
1 Arizona 5,755 kJ/m²

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Solar Photovoltaic Power Potential by Country
July 23, 2020
World Bank
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy/publication/solar-photovoltaic-power-potential-by-country

.....
Around 70 countries boast excellent conditions for solar PV, where average daily output exceeds 4.5 kilowatt hours per installed kilowatt of capacity (kWh/kWp) – enough to boil around 25 liters of water. Countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions dominate this category, accompanied by Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Iran,
** Mexico ( Yeah!!) **,
Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, and many nations of the Pacific and Atlantic islands.

.....
Many less-developed countries—in terms of the human development index, reliability of electricity supply, and access to electricity—tend to have very high practical solar photovoltaic potential, so far untapped. In Ethiopia just 0.005% of the country’s land area could generate sufficient power to cover existing needs, and in Mexico that figure is just 0.1%.

.....
Country by country fact-sheet, available from
https://globalsolaratlas.info/global-pv-potential-study

Download report
https://documents.worldbank.org/en/...lobal-photovoltaic-power-potential-by-country

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Ford F-Series is a range of full-sized pickup trucks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F-Series

.....
Export
As of 2018, outside of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Ford F-150 is officially sold in most Caribbean countries (except Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Cuba), Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the Middle East (including Afghanistan), Iceland, China, Cambodia, the Philippines, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, the French Overseas Collectivities of French Polynesia[55] and New Caledonia, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, the Dutch territories of Aruba, Curaçao, Saint Maarten and the British overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The SVT Raptor is sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Middle East (including Afghanistan), China, Ecuador, Chile and Peru. Both are available in LHD only.

In Bolivia, Ford F-series truck are imported from the United States. F-150 single, super cab and crew cab are available with short and long bed. F-series Heavy Duty like F-250, F-350 are available in Super Cab and Crew cab with long bed, but the F-450 is available only in a chassis version. The F-150 Raptor is available, too.

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Is the F-150 sold in China?
In China, Ford F-150 has been the top-selling imported pickup truck in its segment for four consecutive years since the local introduction of F-150 Raptor in 2017. The popularity of Ford's pickup trucks coincides with the Built Ford Tough pickup culture rapidly gaining popularity in China.
Nov 26, 2021
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...ill-launch-all-new-f-150-raptor-in-china.html

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“Yes, Norway!” F-150® Lightning® Goes Global as Ford Announces its Debut in the World’s EV Capital Apr 20, 2023
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...ghtning--goes-global-as-ford-announces-i.html

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In the first six months of the year 2018, 44,03 million cars were sold worldwide. But which car models are particularly popular with car buyers worldwide? According to an analysis by market observer Jato, the top 50 is led by the Ford F-Series, with more than half-million units sold worldwide.
https://www.autoglobaltrade.com/news/autoglobaltrade-largest-f150-importer-in-europe

AutoGlobalTrade, as a leading importer of Ford F150 pickup trucks in Europe, can boast a high-end lineup with 4 of the most popular models, ready for distribution thanks to the big stock in Germany. Ford F150 Lariat Sport Special Edition
F150 Limited
F150 Lariat Chrome SuperCab

2017
Global car sales up by 2.4% in 2017 due to soaring demand in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America
https://www.jato.com/global-car-sales-2-4-2017-due-soaring-demand-europe-asia-pacific-latin-america/

The Ford-F Series was once again the world’s best-selling car, as it further exerted its dominance over the Toyota Corolla, which came in second. As usual, the Ford-F Series took the top spot as a result of strong US demand, which accounted for 80% of its total volume.

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[justinpratt]

One of the features that grabbed my attention was the possibility of the solar panel bed cover. I park at the airport for 4-5 days at a time.
If the tonneau cover achieves avg 15 miles/day of charging, I’ll go home with more juice than I arrived with.
theoretically, if I park outside every day, living here in CO, I’ll rarely need to ever plug in anywhere.

 

[TexasRaider]

~115mi/7days = ~16.5mi/day





using TyPope’s generation estimate, seems so

but TyPope’s estimate basically assumes no clouds, and you continuously reposition the panel/truck directly toward the sun throughout the day

??‍

And then . . Take away the drain from Sentry Mode activated?

 

[tmeyer3]

I'm all for any amount of solar, it doesn't have to make the truck free to drive, just NOT be passively depleting itself is worth it in my book.

If nothing else, I hope Tesla will provide an easy way to apply a 12v DC charge with the CT. That way I can at least directly charge the batteries from my camping panels as storage for the induction cook top, vent fan, etc on my trailer. Just 200W and that massive battery to get through a cloudy day to power my camper would be world changing!

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