Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving

Post by marvin » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 9:56 PM UTC

todd8 wrote: post #109

hwillis wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The extended range is nice and all, but if somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked, even if it's just a little to keep the car interior at 35°C or so, I would, without exaggeration, buy it the day it's released here. Tesla's dog mode does this. Draining the battery isn't really something to worry about; AC uses <300 watts over long periods (turns on and off at…

This definitely makes Teslas more attractive to me. About half the homes on my (short) street have Teslas. I didn't know how little hot weather affected the battery usage. I had mistakenly assumed that A/C would have a greater negative impact on range.

Post by bumby » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 9:57 PM UTC

helloguillecl wrote: post #111

bumby wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment confuses me. The electric energy isn't free, and depending on the source its possibly emitting the same gases (but hopefully at a lower rate due to efficiency gains). I'm all for EVs but I find these types of comments distracting and underscoring a fundamental misunderstanding

Parent article is about a solar roof, parent comment wishes such a car to keep AC on while parked. Solar roof = no emissions. Where is the misunderstanding?

Post by kevin_b_er » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 10:09 PM UTC

dougmwne wrote: post #50

nradov wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hybrids are the future for most of the market worldwide. It will take decades to build out the charging infrastructure necessary to support battery electric vehicles. Some industrialized countries will move faster.

I wonder if you can expand on why you think it will take decades to build out the charging infrastructure. I've seen it suggested that technology adoption S curves have been getting faster and faster over the last hundred years. The power grid exists everywhere you'd want to charge a car already. It seems a petty simple job to go the last hundred feet to the parking space. My perception was that the liming factor is…

Post by Johnny555 » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 10:12 PM UTC

lettergram wrote: post #6

They are claiming up to 27.7mi per day left in the sun. If true, my 5mi commute each way would be possible without ever charging the vehicle in the summer... That being s said, curious how this holds up to weather (hail, snow, etc) and whether those numbers are accurate.

Post by kirrent » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 10:37 PM UTC

realityman wrote: post #44

walrus01 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they can bring the cost down on that, for other types of panel manufacturing for non automotive markets, that would be pretty amazing. 22% monocrystalline silicon 156mm cells are a commodity now (such as to build a 60 or 72 cells panel with and sell it under $0.60/watt), but 30 to 34% GaAs cells are incredibly expensive. Until very recently GaAs triple junction cells have been so costly they are only used on satel…

If they can make them as cheap as silicon then obviously people will buy them instead, but it's not clear to me that panel efficiency is a relevant factor in the economics of commercial solar power.