CT Solar - Cost Estimations/etc

[Ogre]

Take that 5k, buy a 20 foot flatbed trailer, weld some frames for panels install pannels with storage battery and inverter under the pannels. Take the other 1.5k and drive to vegas, play blackjack with 1k and 500 for beer.

I don’t understand why people feel like making false equivalences or “Solutions” filled with sarcasm adds to a conversation. Fully understand “It doesn’t make sense for everyone/ you”. Just don’t get this compulsion to prove it’s unsuitable for anyone else.

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[jerhenderson]

I really don’t see how this works. Just because you decide you want to make a better truck, doesn’t mean you can change the deal.

Have people done pre-orders where someone just arbitrarily changed the price after the fact? I’ve never heard of such a thing happening. I know the contract says the price is just an estimate. But you don’t give someone an estimate, then increase the scope of the project and charge them more. I’m not even sure that’s legal.

read what you signed.

 

[Ogre]

read what you signed.

This nonsense again.



Read what you replied to.

No… I mean actually READ IT, the whole thing. Including the part where I talk about the fucking contract.

 

[myrickma]

Take that 5k, buy a 20 foot flatbed trailer, weld some frames for panels install pannels with storage battery and inverter under the pannels. Take the other 1.5k and drive to vegas, play blackjack with 1k and 500 for beer.

Fantastic idea (except Black Jack, Craps ftw), until I drive home and my HOA won't let me park it. Then I'll have to pay to keep it in storage haha.

 

[No-ICE]

I hope Tesla makes the solar panel a standard feature. The CT will not fit in my garage thus it will be parked outside in the sunny Southwest all day long. Please provide Solar! Charging !

N.ICE

 

[rr6013]

For travel? I want a little red gas can, I think.

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/zipcharge-go-portable-ev-charger-power-bank-1234645496/

 

[ldjessee]

Back when I used to drive to work every work day, it was 7 miles one way.
Even if it was only 7 miles of range added during the summer, that still is halving my energy drain on the grid and/or offsetting the 'phantom' drain (not really phantom, I know where it is going).

Now that my driving has gone from ~20k a year to about 6-7k, seems like being able to generate even small portion of that on the truck, where there are not as many conversions, transmissions, or other things that would lower the efficiency from source to use is worth it for me, if the price is below $5k. If it is above $5k, then a DIY set up that is (roughtly) a charge controller, some panels on a frame that can be folded up, storage, and some way to carry it in the Vault without damaging the panels when not being used seems more worth it.

I know someone who would drive their plugin hybrid mini-van to work on electric only (barely made it each day, due to a hill he had to drive over). Once at work, plug it in for like an hour or two on a 7kW charger, then drive it home. Their goal was try to never burn gas.

But they had kids, kids in sports, so they felt like they needed the mini-van, but also that they wanted a vehicle that fit their needs.

What if that mini-van was topped in solar? Not as big a deal, as the motor, batteries, inverter, etc are so inefficient that even with 72.5 sq-ft of roof that could be solar panels is probably not enough to significantly help... but I am sure some people would love that feature, for tailgating, camping, other such events where having a cooled or heated minivan with lots of extra power could be useful.

 

[SpaceDoc]

For travel? I want a little red gas can, I think.

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/zipcharge-go-portable-ev-charger-power-bank-1234645496/

love it!
there was a thread a while back where someone said the CT wouldn’t be useful for backcountry 4wheeling due to range/battery issues.

I said all you need was an extra battery pack like you might take an extra can of gas for an ICE vehicle (and some solar panels).

Glad to see it actually being developed.

?

 

[Tinker71]

It would be nice if your truck paid attention to parking orientation relative to the sun. Even without solar, having the vault cover backed up to the sun would block a lot of heat coming into the cabin and save battery by avoiding running the AC to keep the cabin under 104 degrees.

Right now, you are lucky if summon mode will even be successful in finding any parking successfully. Multiple moves in a day when you aren’t around? No chance for some time.

I hate getting into a 140 degree car. I always try to park such that when I return the vehicle will be in the shade or the front windshield will be facing away from the direct sun. Sometimes I will even park in the sun knowing that in X hours I will be in the shade. Kind of a little game I play.

 

[myrickma]

I hate getting into a 140 degree car. I always try to park such that when I return the vehicle will be in the shade or the front windshield will be facing away from the direct sun. Sometimes I will even park in the sun knowing that in X hours I will be in the shade. Kind of a little game I play.

CT has some advantages other models do not, especially when Solar is included.

First, the stainless steel body is a much better thermal insulator than regular steel/aluminum (think a YETI Rambler, sort of). Steel is 45 W/mK vs Stainless at 15 W/mK vs Aluminum 88+ W/mK.
Also, remember that this will be the same/similar steel SpaceX uses according to reports, so it will have excellent thermal properties.

The armored glass should also have better thermal properties than regular auto glass as well. You see this in R values on impact windows for houses.

If the cover/panels are pointed at the sun, radiation will have a harder time heating up the cabin due to the reflection and absorption of the panels/cover.

Will it get hot, I'm sure especially in climates like mine (Fl), but the properties of the materials of the car on its own are better than the majority of other vehicles.

 

[John K]

Use solar to keep truck on pet mode. Come back to a cool interior. Who cares about the charge cost for this comfort in peak heat months.

 

[Ogre]

Use solar to keep truck on pet mode. Come back to a cool interior. Who cares about the charge cost for this comfort in peak heat months.

I already do this sometimes. If we go out to dinner on a hot day, I’ll pop into the phone app and put the climate control on 80 degrees. Having it be sun powered would be the cat’s meow.

 

[Qball]

What if they use the entire rear glass for solar cells including the tonneau cover? That will get us to 1100watts. You will just lose the panoramic roof which I might be fine with.

I’ll happily give up the glass roof, in fact I hate the glass roof because it’s hot as F in the summer. I went as far as spending good money to tint the glass roof for additional heat rejection AND mesh shade under it. Wasn’t for wife likes looking up at glass roof once a blue moon I would of just put solid cover and insolation under the entire roof of my model 3. Neat to look at it once a blue moon but I hate it.

 

[MEDICALJMP]

If it is greater than the $3000-3500 estimate it like is not going to be worth it to me and my usage patterns.

 

[PointHope]

I’d be quite happy if they just added some charging ports I could plug my own panels into. In a lot of ways thats preferable.

I take anything that wasn’t presented on launch night and shown on the spec sheet with a huge grain of salt. The 4 wheel steering is a lock in at least as an option, anything else don’t hold your breath. Musk tends to be very seat of his pants on Twitter.

Yep, I'm thinking we'll soon be seeing purpose built shinning 'Airstream' like travel trailers with a large battery and solar panel component, to mate with CT.
Will be kinky.

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