Solar power panels on hood and roof

Mike Hickey

Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
17
Reaction score
19
Location
Port Townsend WA
Vehicles
Cybertruck 2 motor
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
In addition to solar collecting tonneau cover will CT offer the same on roof and hood?
For sure it would eliminate battery drain from phatum loads and would generate enough range to run to the nearby grocery store or destination charger.
Tesla Cybertruck Solar power panels on hood and roof Screenshot_20200306-151518


Sion is doing just that. Why not Tesla?
See pic of Sion with solar collection on roof & hood.
Sponsored

 

lukefrisbee

Banned
Well-known member
Banned
First Name
luke
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Threads
31
Messages
367
Reaction score
344
Location
Indialantic FL
Vehicles
2m AWD Cybertruck
Occupation
retired
Country flag
The article loses credibility when they fail to recognize the rolling tonneau cover of the vault was where Elon stated the solar charging cells would be located. Even in the mock-up the rolling tonneau cover "disappeared."

On a personal note I would LOVE it if the rolling tonneau cover "disappeared" for real for the following reasons:
Just plain EXPENSIVE

Probably will get hung up or break more often than alternatives

Likely to leak more often than the alternatives

And my biggest concern: The tonneau cover has to come through the back wall of the cab to cover the vault, and it is stored in the "bottom" of the Cyber. It is an engineering challenge to make access from inside the cab to the vault free from dangers, and to make the wall between the two move out of the way to allow good access to the vault.

I am NOT an engineer, but I have exceptional 3-D abilities/imagination. I actually can do 3-D visualizations from 2-D diagrams so well I was tested, and then retested twice. The third time the two testers sat and watched me. They claimed it was because they were interested. It felt like they were trying to see how I was cheating. But in the end they told me I scored higher than anyone they had tested before. I told them it came from my Summer Job in College. I used to go with a crew in a U-haul to the Northeastern USA, and fill it full of salvaged "Architectural antiques." You try getting as much gingerbread, bannisters, and wainscoting into truck without damaging it. Doing 3-d visualizations is easy after you've developed that skill..

Anyway, I just find it hard to see how the engineers are going to resolve all the issues of the rolling tonneau cover going through that back wall of the cab and also allow the cab to open up into the vault.
 

Blue Steel

Well-known member
First Name
MP
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Threads
7
Messages
389
Reaction score
947
Location
Portland OR
Vehicles
Tesla Model X, Polestar 2
Occupation
Product Specialist
Country flag
Probably will get hung up or break more often than alternatives

Likely to leak more often than the alternatives
I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.

And my biggest concern: The tonneau cover has to come through the back wall of the cab to cover the vault, and it is stored in the "bottom" of the Cyber. It is an engineering challenge to make access from inside the cab to the vault free from dangers, and to make the wall between the two move out of the way to allow good access to the vault.
That is an issue to me too. I think ideally the cover would roll up in the spot above the rear window. Which would leave more room in the vault and leave easier access for a pass through.
 


Dids

Well-known member
First Name
Les
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
1,766
Reaction score
3,771
Location
Massachusetts
Vehicles
04 Tacoma, 23 Cybertruck
Occupation
Self
Country flag
I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.



That is an issue to me too. I think ideally the cover would roll up in the spot above the rear window. Which would leave more room in the vault and leave easier access for a pass through.
On the prototype the cover rolls under the bed. I dont think it enters the cab or is rolled up. I do not think the cover will disappear... it is probably vital to the milage efficiency. I'm less concerned about it leaking or thet it will break, more concerned with it not allowing a pass through and also all the dirt that will end up down the path.
 

lukefrisbee

Banned
Well-known member
Banned
First Name
luke
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Threads
31
Messages
367
Reaction score
344
Location
Indialantic FL
Vehicles
2m AWD Cybertruck
Occupation
retired
Country flag
I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.
yeah I sort of think of it as a garage door... BUT you garage door is not waterproof and does not almost lay horizontal... Horizontal tracks can hold leaves twigs...rocks!
 

lukefrisbee

Banned
Well-known member
Banned
First Name
luke
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Threads
31
Messages
367
Reaction score
344
Location
Indialantic FL
Vehicles
2m AWD Cybertruck
Occupation
retired
Country flag
ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.
 

Sirfun

Well-known member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,389
Reaction score
4,872
Location
Oxnard, California
Vehicles
Toyota Avalon, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, Ford E-250
Occupation
Retired Sheet Metal Worker
Country flag
ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.
Why not use the built in air compressor to blow crap out of the tracks?
 

Dids

Well-known member
First Name
Les
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
1,766
Reaction score
3,771
Location
Massachusetts
Vehicles
04 Tacoma, 23 Cybertruck
Occupation
Self
Country flag
ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.
On the prototype that is exactly what I believe happens. The smooth and rapid movement means it doesnt roll up. Also when you look at the exoskeleton there isnt a roll up location, in addition the in bed storage looks like it is right where the cover would stop if it stopped retracting at the bed wall. A tambour ( used on roll top desks)door is relatively easier to water proof and is pretty stable and strong vs a garage door with hinges approach.
 
Last edited:


Blue Steel

Well-known member
First Name
MP
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Threads
7
Messages
389
Reaction score
947
Location
Portland OR
Vehicles
Tesla Model X, Polestar 2
Occupation
Product Specialist
Country flag
There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?
 

lukefrisbee

Banned
Well-known member
Banned
First Name
luke
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Threads
31
Messages
367
Reaction score
344
Location
Indialantic FL
Vehicles
2m AWD Cybertruck
Occupation
retired
Country flag
There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?
and I was just about to thank Dids till you come in with facts....
 

Mini2nut

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Threads
87
Messages
2,188
Reaction score
4,120
Location
CA
Vehicles
2019 Tacoma TRD Pro
Country flag
It reminds me of a commercial roll up garage door. I have no doubt the Tesla engineers will have it figured out by the time the Cybertruck goes into production.
 

Dids

Well-known member
First Name
Les
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
1,766
Reaction score
3,771
Location
Massachusetts
Vehicles
04 Tacoma, 23 Cybertruck
Occupation
Self
Country flag
There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?
I agree that there is a hump where the door could be rolled up, I imagined a battery pack filling the space between the vertical part where the seat is and the rear wheel sub frame. A tambour style door would require a spiral track though to roll up and that seems excessively cumbersome. I certainly have no knowledge that it remains flat vs rolled up. If it's not a tambour then I fear water proofing....
There appears to be about 38 slats/ lathes on the 6.5ft bed and since its sloped the slats would be more than 2 in wide.

Tesla Cybertruck Solar power panels on hood and roof Screenshot_20200403-062634_Samsung Internet
 
Last edited:

fritter63

Well-known member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Threads
33
Messages
1,422
Reaction score
2,877
Location
Atascadero
Vehicles
2018 Model 3 LR, 2019 Model 3 SR+
Occupation
Retired Software Engineer, Woodworker and guitar builder extraordinaire
Country flag
I am NOT an engineer, but I have exceptional 3-D abilities/imagination. I actually can do 3-D visualizations from 2-D diagrams so well I was tested, and then retested twice.
I am curious what you were being tested for?

The Pace Edwards rolltop tonneau cover on my Dodge rolled up into a 9" x 9" ( x 5 footish) box - took up that much space in the bed. And that was for an 8 foot bed. So this one would be smaller. I think having it stay flat would really add complexity in having a large flat cavity under the bed floor for it go into, but also from a mechanical motor perspective, where you'd need a way to push/push the cover over a larger distance without binding. Although could be that the gear drive wheels to accomplish that are right under the rear window, which means that they're just moving the the cover along from that point (in which case the moving gears are traveling along the length of the cover as it moves).

If it rolls up into a box like a commercial garage door, then the motors driving that would on that one central shaft that it rolls up onto. That actually may cause some binding issues when being rolled out.

Not sure I'm explaining this well, I'm better at 3D visualization then I am at words. :)

However, Sandy Munro has addressed this topic and said that he was well familiar with these types of covers in the aircraft industry (he couldn't go into details because it was classified), but that they were very reliable.
Sponsored

 
 




Top