How likely is a solar tonneau for the CT?

[dalanstewart]

While this is true, I’d still like to leave the car with 150 miles and come back in 10 days to one with 300. Also, 15 miles a day is about my commute. I’d love to cancel that out or come close and charge much less frequently. Not to mention camping out in the desert with the kids. If I run out of juice all I’d have to do is wait it out.

For a vehicle as heavy as the Cybertruck you’d probably have to have a solar array several times the footprint of the car to get 15 miles a day of charge. The Aptera and other solar cars that get significant miles a day of range from solar are very lightweight vehicles.

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[Cybertruck2024]

For a vehicle as heavy as the Cybertruck you’d probably have to have a solar array several times the footprint of the car to get 15 miles a day of charge. The Aptera and other solar cars that get significant miles a day of range from solar are very lightweight vehicles.

Exactly this. I would be shocked to get 3 miles a day. If that 3 miles a day came from a $50 part, bring it on! If it is a $1,500 part, forget about it.

 

[mongo]

While this is true, I’d still like to leave the car with 150 miles and come back in 10 days to one with 300. Also, 15 miles a day is about my commute. I’d love to cancel that out or come close and charge much less frequently. Not to mention camping out in the desert with the kids. If I run out of juice all I’d have to do is wait it out.

Ignoring angles, standby loss, conversion efficiency...
15 miles a day at 400 Wh/mile = 6kWh
In Phoenix, ~1kW solar 20% efficiency , 1kW/m² irradiance = 5m² of area. Cybertruck 1.3mx5.7m = 7.4 m²
Might be possible.

 

[That Beast Mode]

I don't think it's about really charging the truck, you'd never get much real world use from it, however it could offset loss and phantom drain and squeeze a little more juice out of it. Plus in an emergency situation it would be helpful.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Ignoring angles, standby loss, conversion efficiency...
15 miles a day at 400 Wh/mile = 6kWh
In Phoenix, ~1kW solar 20% efficiency , 1kW/m² irradiance = 5m² of area. Cybertruck 1.3mx5.7m = 7.4 m²
Might be possible.

English Mongo, English.... Explain it to us like we're idiots - not me of course, I understand exactly what you meant, errr but on behalf of the others who might not.

 

[Cybertruck2024]

Ignoring angles, standby loss, conversion efficiency...
15 miles a day at 400 Wh/mile = 6kWh
In Phoenix, ~1kW solar 20% efficiency , 1kW/m² irradiance = 5m² of area. Cybertruck 1.3mx5.7m = 7.4 m²
Might be possible.

In an optimal condition that will be achieved 1% of the time, it might be possible.

Most people with home charging park in a garage. Many people park in garages in work. Many people live places where the sun comes out once or twice a week. The reality is 5 miles a day would be an incredible achievement for most people via a solar tonneau.

Anyone have any idea what a feature like this would cost installed?

 

[hemiarch]

I can assign a qualitative value to having a warm ass and being able to see the stars. I can only apply a quantitative value to a solar tonneau.

If it is about creating clean energy, you're better off donating to a small business looking to install solar panels, that will be a better net gain toward zero emissions.

I'm pretty firmly in the no solar tonneau camp.

Qualitatively having to charge once a week and feeling safe when going off grid is in fact an improvement for me.

 

[mongo]

English Mongo, English.... Explain it to us like we're idiots - not me of course, I understand exactly what you meant, errr but on behalf of the others who might not.

The footprint of the Cybertruck is large enough that if you covered it in solar panels and left it outside in Arizona then you might collect 15 miles of energy a day.

In an optimal condition that will be achieved 1% of the time, it might be possible.

Most people with home charging park in a garage. Many people park in garages in work. Many people live places where the sun comes out once or twice a week. The reality is 5 miles a day would be an incredible achievement for most people via a solar tonneau.

Anyone have any idea what a feature like this would cost installed?

Sure, but @hemiarch lives in Phoenix and can park outside.

DIY:
4 500W panels $1,340 plus storage/ inverter

Or:
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus with 4 400W portable panels $4k

 

[TyPope]

If there were a way to directly charge batteries from solar without having to "plug it in", there could be several ways to take advantage of this. I'd propose this to a 3rd party:

A lightweight frame that connects to the L-Tracks. It's set up to follow the angle of the tonneau cover. It's made up of two panels, 36"x 48" each. They are hinged where they meet. The rear one can be hinged upward for access to the bed beneath it.

When you park at the airport or at work outside or wherever, you simply open the tonneau cover and your CT will get a little juice. Maybe it's just a little. Like two 300-watt panels might produce 2.2kWh per day. For me, that's about 6 miles of range. Barely a dent to my 88-mile daily slog. But, my last position had a 16-mile commute. It would, per week, cover 2/5 of my weekly commute there.

 

[hemiarch]

If there were a way to directly charge batteries from solar without having to "plug it in", there could be several ways to take advantage of this. I'd propose this to a 3rd party:

A lightweight frame that connects to the L-Tracks. It's set up to follow the angle of the tonneau cover. It's made up of two panels, 36"x 48" each. They are hinged where they meet. The rear one can be hinged upward for access to the bed beneath it.

When you park at the airport or at work outside or wherever, you simply open the tonneau cover and your CT will get a little juice. Maybe it's just a little. Like two 300-watt panels might produce 2.2kWh per day. For me, that's about 6 miles of range. Barely a dent to my 88-mile daily slog. But, my last position had a 16-mile commute. It would, per week, cover 2/5 of my weekly commute there.

But I’d want a solar tonneau to be constantly charging when parked or driving alike. Connected to whatever the range extender was supposed to connect to.

 

[Bill Carlson]

Just nullifying vampire drain would make it worth it.
Airport parking, for example.

I've been meaning to reply sooner but I am just getting data on this and it is a prototype. I'm working on v2 as I evaluate V1. This is 600W. I have it feeding a 3500kWH 12V battery that is inverting into the charge port. It can do 5A for 4-6 hours.

Battery and Solar MPPT + Inverter are in bed vault.

I'm going to see what it does for the next few months and since I am in northeast this is probably Spring/Summer next year. I'll perhaps add in another 400-600W in foldable panels that can be added in when parked.

IMO this is too hokey to be a real solution but it does alleviate any fears of being left high and dry charge-wise.

Best answer I think is to have the tonneau go OVER a flexible solar shade underneath. That way it could be unveiled and protected as needed. Tesla needs to expose or use the 48V inside so the charge happens without the kludgy invert/re-invert.

Enjoy and appreciate any feedback. Yes the truck needs its first wash....

 

[TyPope]

But I’d want a solar tonneau to be constantly charging when parked or driving alike. Connected to whatever the range extender was supposed to connect to.

Then you, my friend, would simply leave the tonneau cover open.

 

[hemiarch]

As pointed out in a recent thread, the battery heating issue with level 2 charging negates a good portion of that 600w unfortunately right?
What I really want is for Tesla to creat an mppt that provides in and not just out from the HV battery.

 

[hemiarch]

Then you, my friend, would simply leave the tonneau cover open.

I don’t know of a way to charge the truck while it’s driving. That’s what the range extender was supposed to do so there must be a mechanism.

 

[hemiarch]

A solar tonneau as I envision it would not work like these homebrewed solutions .
For one it would take no space , it would also charge continuously and directly into the HV battery.
Come on Elon….were you just flapping your mouth?

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