Crissa

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I'm planning to have solar panels on my home anyway, so I don't see a tonne of value.
You never leave your home and have panels over your parking space?

I'm not allowed to put panels where the truck will park (too close to power lines) but the panels on the truck would have the best exposure at my house.

-Crissa
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beeeasybro

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It depends on the option price I suppose, but (if my calculations are right) assuming the wh/mi of the Cybertruck is say 400 and the solar panel can provide 15 miles per day, that's 6000 wh or 6kwh per day. Imagine that in a camping situation where the truck is parked...or powering a small remote cabin that would only draw 4-5kwh per day.
Dope!
 

Crissa

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...or 6kwh per day. Imagine that in a camping situation where the truck is parked...or powering a small remote cabin that would only draw 4-5kwh per day.
And just assuming you're off a bit, so 3/4 your number. It's an average, right? Then say it's at the average Supercharger kilowatthour cost, 28¢... That's lower than I pay for electricity, and you want those tasty out on the road miles, or out at the camp. If it were just plugged into my house ten years it'd be...

6*0.75*0.28*365.25*10=$4602.15

And that's not counting opportunity cost!

I've spent several hundred dollars on camp solar already and gotten far less energy put of it. It would take my system a week to compare to one day of the proposed system.

-Crissa
 

CoyoteJim

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And just assuming you're off a bit, so 3/4 your number. It's an average, right? Then say it's at the average Supercharger kilowatthour cost, 28¢... That's lower than I pay for electricity, and you want those tasty out on the road miles, or out at the camp. If it were just plugged into my house ten years it'd be...

6*0.75*0.28*365.25*10=$4602.15

And that's not counting opportunity cost!

I've spent several hundred dollars on camp solar already and gotten far less energy put of it. It would take my system a week to compare to one day of the proposed system.

-Crissa
Hmm…so if it’s a $4500 option you recover the cost after 10 years…if it’s a $2000 option maybe by 5? I wonder what the price of this will be. If it’s too expensive then I guess you would have to judge its value by its convenience rather than cost savings.
 

John K

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Bragging rights, smugness and with my commute, 300 range will become 360 mile range. Increased cost, less interest.
 


Suskis

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Maybe I am wrong but a veichle with solar panels could receive extra discount from governments for being even more environmental friendly than normal evs
 

Crissa

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Hmm…so if it’s a $4500 option you recover the cost after 10 years…if it’s a $2000 option maybe by 5? I wonder what the price of this will be. If it’s too expensive then I guess you would have to judge its value by its convenience rather than cost savings.
Yeah. But like I said, I've already spent >$500 on camp solar which I've gotten far less power from.

-Crissa
 

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i hope the solar option is no more than 3k.
i really like the concept, and even if they dont make money on it, it shows they actually care about the sustainable thing they always talk about, not sure why iv been so pessimistic about tesla lately hmmm
 

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Will the cost of this solar panel be worth the extra 15 miles it might get?
I've thought this same question since Elon said that they may offer it. For me, I own a townhouse with a single-car garage that currently the CT will not fit in. In the garage, I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet that charges my M3. I have an uncovered (no shade at all) assigned parking spot about 50' from my garage that I would not be able to extend my charging cord to due to other cars driving over or cause a tripping hazard when people walk by.

1st option is hopefully the 3% smaller CT fits in the garage.
2nd option is to Supercharge once or twice a week (not ideal).
3rd option is to have solar panels on the CT to reduce the supercharging trips.

Let's say I get an avg of 10 miles/ day via solar panels accounting for some cloudy days and not perfectly angled to the sun. That is 70 miles per week. With rough math in my head (probably wrong) but I think the 70 miles a week would save me around $6 from supercharging costs.
$6/week x 52 weeks = $312/year.

It all depends on the option cost. I would be in if it was $2000, mainly for the reason of reducing the number of trips I would need to visit a supercharger over the lifetime of the truck.
 

TheLastStarfighter

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You never leave your home and have panels over your parking space?

I'm not allowed to put panels where the truck will park (too close to power lines) but the panels on the truck would have the best exposure at my house.

-Crissa
Where I park is the worst at my place for panels.

Of course I leave home, just there is no need for trickle charging when I do. There are two scenarios for driving and charging:

1. Daily commuting where I need to charge 20-30kms of range per day. Between truck-mounted moving mini-panels and home roof-mounted large panels, I would expect the home panels to be far more efficient and cost-effective to install. ie, it would be far better to spend an extra 5k on more roof panels than on the CT Solar option.

2. Long weekend road trips using 100's of kms. In this scenario, the trickle charging the tuck may get is mostly irrelevant. Sure, any energy is good energy, but it's not like I wouldn't need to stop for charging if I've exceeded my range, and if I didn't it's back to scenario 1.

It sounds like for you the solar option would be great for both home charging and off-grid camping. For me, it's extremely unlikely it would pay for the cost. If it were free, sure it would be a nice bonus, but it probably doesn't have good value in my use.
 


ED_SFO

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I'm also hoping it's about 3k or under....also with all these patents being filed maybe that's why he's being tight lipped on specs and reveal...hopefully that means a final update is nearly upon us...but regardless I would prob pay up to 5k for solar...hopefully that new tax credit goes thru!!
 
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firsttruck

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Hmm…so if it’s a $4500 option you recover the cost after 10 years…if it’s a $2000 option maybe by 5? I wonder what the price of this will be. If it’s too expensive then I guess you would have to judge its value by its convenience rather than cost savings.
Correct, most people would not buy this for $2,000-$4,500 for normal cost savings versus paying for charging.

But there is another type of savings some people would pay even $4,000 for.
Help during a minor or major disaster.

This is especially for the millions & millions of Tesla owners who live in mostly sunny climates who go camping, over-landing or off-roading.

Sunny Spring/Summer/Fall Scenerio:
You drive to a remote site and you plan to have enough charge for the activities there (some requiring Cybertruck to power various devices. cooking, TV, computer, StarLink, CyberQuad, etc) and have enough for the Cybertruck return trip. The site has no electrical services and there are no other vehicles to get power from. There are multiple people in your group.
So what is the disaster? Someone or everyone uses too much power and you find yourself in a situation where you can not return and make it to the next closest charging location (even if just a local friendly farm house owner's measly 110V outlet).

Note: Yes Yes, you could have set Cybertruck to stop discharging but what if you thought you set the shutoff value but you forgot or did not do it right, or someone else turned it off or maybe there is a neighbor EV nearby that needs a little charge, etc, etc, etc. Or just more trips with CyberQuad.

So whatever the cause you got a problem. Your options now:

1. Call a tow truck or other service to bring you some juice (power). generator or power pack.
You hope it is a real ICE tow truck & not a Ford F-150 Hybirid!
How much will the tow service charge for power? $100, $200, more

2. What if tow service has no power source and they will only offer to actually tow the Cybertruck!
How much will actual tow cost? $300, $400, $500, $ thousands

Oh, and what if your cell phone is out of juice (or fell in the lake, dog ate it, etc) or there is no cell service at the remote location. So you can not do options 1 or 2 even if you had the money to pay.

3. You paid for the solar option for the Cybertruck. You were on vacation anyway. Relax for another day or two. You and Cybertruck (hopefully @15mi/day) soak up some sun. Then later both of you (you & Cybertruck), (OK and also take the idiot/idiots who left the lights on, juiced the CyberQuad too many times, or whatever :), ride off under the midday sun in search of another overload (oops, I meant charging station).
Yes, I would easily pay $2,000-$3000 for a $15mi/day solar option. Paying $3,000 - $4,500 would get serious consideration too.

If you will be in areas with no grid & no solar, paying $2,000-$2,500 for 15/day solar option is almost a no brainer. Pay more takes much more consideration.
 
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CybertruckAgent

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via https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-cybertruck-solar-panel-tonneau-cover-patent-elon-musk/

Tesla Cybertruck’s Solar Panel Tonneau Cover comes to life in new patent

May 27, 2021

The Tesla Cybertruck’s many features are now appearing as patents that the automaker has submitted to the United States Patent Office, and one of the most notable is the tonneau, or truck bed cover. While the retractable design of the tonneau provides convenience at the touch of a button for owners, it will protect any goods or cargo that drivers will store in the Cybertruck’s massive bed. However, the design is now hinting toward even more versatility and usefulness as the patent describes the potential use as a solar panel that will provide range for the all-electric truck by capturing the sun’s energy.

In Tesla’s newly published “Integrated Tonneau Cover for a Vehicle” patent, several inventors submit their idea and designs for the Cybertruck’s fully mechanical tonneau cover. Guided along a set of channels in the bed of the truck, the tonneau cover will provide protection for any cargo that is stored in the back of the vehicle. Whether it be tools or luggage, the tonneau cover is Tesla’s way of giving owners a way to protect their belongings without having to purchase expensive aftermarket bed covers, which other trucks do not provide. The retractable tonneau is shown in the images below.

tesla-cybertruck-retractable-tonneau.jpg


“In order to mitigate the possibility of such damage, many truck owners install aftermarket truck bed covers that cover the bed of their truck,” the patent states. “However, not only may such aftermarket truck bed covers be difficult to install, they also may not fit exactly with the specifications of the truck beds of different models of trucks. If a truck bed cover does not have an accurate fit it can leak rain or snow through the gaps between the truck bed cover and the walls around the truck bed, and cause cargo damage. In addition, not only are many aftermarket truck bed covers difficult to install and inconvenient to use, but they also take up space in the truck beds and reduce the overall utility of the trucks.”

The tonneau, in a revolutionary new design, will also be able to recharge the vehicle’s battery pack thanks to 110 solar electric cells that are electrically connected to a photovoltaic charging system and battery. “When the tonneau cover is deployed to cover the bed and the solar electric cells that make up the slats are facing the sun, the battery within the electric vehicle can be charged by solar electric cells,” the patent states.

While solar panels on an electric vehicle have been looked at as a possibility in the past, the idea has never come to fruition due to ineffectiveness. Because a car doesn’t provide much surface area, to begin with, the contribution of charge from solar panels would be minimal, and it would require extremely clear and favorable weather conditions to provide any effective additional range to the vehicle. However, CEO Elon Musk hinted just days after the Cybertruck’s unveiling event in November 2019 that Tesla would be adding an option to add solar power that could generate up to 15 miles per day. Musk also hinted toward “fold-out solar wings” that could generate an additional 30-40 miles per day, which could alleviate the need to stop at a Supercharger for some owners.

Screen Shot 2021-05-27 at 9.09.50 AM.jpg


The tonneau would be completely covered in solar electric cells, and the patent claims that when the “truck bed cover is in a closed position, it is configured to recharge the battery pack, the closed position of the truck bed cover enabling the plurality of solar electric cells to face a sun.”

Musk also hinted toward the possibility of installing solar cells on the roof of a potential Tesla van with Joe Rogan in a podcast interview earlier this year. Musk said that the van would be a favorable design due to its “big, flat area,” and “solar could start to make a little more sense.” Because the tonneau is flat and covers a considerable surface area, there is some potential for it to be just as effective as Musk’s idea for the van.

The full patent document is available below.

This makes me very happy, solar tonneau was one of the very best features of CT, then Elon crapped on the idea on Rogan’s podcast. The idea that it’s charging at all times while in the sun, parked or driving is pretty dang cool and brings out my optimistic side.
 

CybertruckAgent

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One of my worries is that fir/pine needles muck-up the works for the rolling cover. Guess I'll just have to stay on top of keeping the channels clean.
Don’t worry about that, power retractable tonneau covers are actually common, the aftermarket figured them out a long time ago. To my knowledge, you can order them from the factory on all full size trucks from the big 3, I doubt they’d offer them as an official option if they break or gum up all the time, that’s a lot of warranty repair.

Tesla Cybertruck ☀️ New Cybertruck tonneau patent mentions potential use as Solar Panel 64467D1A-C3B4-47B1-8D44-45BF2D1A5781
Sponsored

 
 




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