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Aptera completes low-speed drive in its first production-intent solar electric vehicle (electrek.co)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 days ago (36 children)

There's something that people really fail to grasp with solar, and that's the fact there is bugger all energy in the sun, and you need a huge surface area to get any meaningful energy.

A home solar array often takes up a significant chunk of the roof area, and the amount of surface area a car typically has means that even perfectly efficient solar panels wouldn't collect enough energy to significantly contribute to the vehicle's range.

There's a good reason why vehicle manufacturers don't bother adding them.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Solar panels are also added weight, which reduces range. Any way you look at it, it makes more sense to have the solar panels at a base location you go back to.

I guess an RV, or a camp trailer, makes sense to have panels on it, but that's about it

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Solar panels are incredibly thin and light. There is no reason not to include them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

Price. Large standardized panels are cheaper. Until you cover static otherwise unused space with solar, there's no way this car is a better use of money.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's also things like Sentinel mode on Teslas that use power.

My main gripe is people think a solar car will never need to be charged, or only on trips, and that's just not the case.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Aptera claims to be able to get 40 miles a day via solar. Most people drive less than that per day.

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