Why don't electric car manufacurers put solar panels on the car roofs?
Why don't electric car manufacurers put solar panels on the car roofs?
Honestly it seems like a no-brainer to me to put a solar panel on the roof of electric cars to increase their action radius, so I figured there's probably one or more good reasons why they don't.
Also, I acknowledge that a quick google could answer the question, but with the current state of google I don't want to read AI bullshit. I want an actual answer, and I bet there will be some engineers eager to explain the issues.
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The materials are more expensive and heavy than what car roofs are normally made of, and the charge they would generate is miniscule. It may not even offset the added energy needed to move the car because of the added weight. Particularly if you live far from the equator, or somewhere cloudy, it's probably not worth it.
When I was a kid (in the early 00's) there were solar cars on TV and they were always these absurdly shaped pancakes made of ultralight materials and couldn't even reach road speeds. I'm sure the tech has improved since then, but the real innovation that made electric cars possible was batteries. It's hard to generate enough energy on the same platform you need to move without it being too heavy.
You’re absolutely right - still absurdly shaped pancakes and they can’t reach highway speeds when powered on solar power alone. They do reach road speeds nowadays but they’re allowed to charge during and after race time (regulations are pretty confusing). I was on a solar car team a few years back.