Earlier quoted context omitted.
What do you mean by 'if it ever comes to my city'?
Yeah, can't you drive Teslas anywhere?
Sure, I mean they float, right?
Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
141–150 of 172 posts
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
2015 and later variants of the Prius already have this via the solar roof option: https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius... “If you want to activate the solar powered ventilation system before you get out of the vehicle it is a simple process. On the left side of the steering column, you will find a small square button with a car and fan on it. Press this button before you turn off your vehicle…
The solar roof for running a fan has been around since the 2010 prius.
I had a 2010 Prius with the solar roof. It does work, but it just reduced the temperature from unbearable to quite hot, it did not make it cool. It's somewhat nice to have on very hot days, but is not really a killer feature.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
It looks like the Hyundai Kona EV has a Utility Mode that works similarly (the headlights are off, the vehicle is locked in park, and you can run the AC indefinitely.) However, based on this thread, utility mode requires the key fob, so someone could just break a window and steal the car. I wish manufacturers other than Tesla would think about these use cases: https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?thread…
It was mentioned later in that thread, but the Kona EV also lets you control the AC remotely via its mobile app without leaving the keys in the car. I don't know if it'll run indefinitely, though; my old Chevy Volt would turn off remotely started climate control after 15 minutes or so, and I haven't tried in the Kona yet. That said, even if it is time-limited, 15 minutes is usually enough to cool down the car without…
Any time limit defeats the point. An electric car isn't just a car without gas, it's a climate-controlled room you can put anywhere.
As global temperatures rise, there are places becoming increasingly uncomfortable to live in. There may be cases where it's cheaper to wait out the hottest days in your car, instead of retrofitting a cooling system onto a building.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#144There's also Sono Motors, a start-up from Munich, Germany. They aim at delivering something they call a SEV (Solar Electric Vehicle) in 2020. They have an interesting concept and more than 10k reservations. https://sonomotors.com/?lang=en
Thanks for sharing the Sono Motors link.
The Sion model is to be available in 2021 (or at least that is what I read on their website.)
I like this practical little car with energy interface considerations at its core. Solar body panels can add up to 34km range per day, this seems to be a major incremental improvement to the EV model, I think.
Sticker price of 25.5k Euro (16k for base and est. 9.5k for battery) and they let you buy the battery separately or you can lease one. It seems it will be manufactured in Sweden (Trollhättan). I want to learn more about their (export) US market strategy. Needless to say I do like this SEV concept.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure how true that would be in extremely hot weather, but it is probably the only reason I'm considering a Tesla if it ever comes to my city, my commute is really short so even if it cut 200 miles off the range it'd be worth it for me. Having a car with remote start alleviates the problem a little bit, but I'd rather not run an ICE engine while I'm not in the car for obvious reasons.
Wouldn't chucking a bucket of water over the car with the evaporation help cool the car down quicker initially? Along with least reducing the amount of time needed to run idle for cooling. Though this would depend upon the humidity, would not work in high humidity and equally work better in low humidity.
Sure, but for that to work you have to carry around buckets of water.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wouldn't chucking a bucket of water over the car with the evaporation help cool the car down quicker initially? Along with least reducing the amount of time needed to run idle for cooling. Though this would depend upon the humidity, would not work in high humidity and equally work better in low humidity.
Sure, but for that to work you have to carry around buckets of water.
Not in the morning when you're at home.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#147I live in a pretty hot city (My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C yesterday at midday). 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. Hell, I'd consider it even if it would just keep the fa…
2015 and later variants of the Prius already have this via the solar roof option: https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius... “If you want to activate the solar powered ventilation system before you get out of the vehicle it is a simple process. On the left side of the steering column, you will find a small square button with a car and fan on it. Press this button before you turn off your vehicle…
Even just running the fan on a 45c day should have a huge impact on the internal temperatures of the car.
You can easily hit ~85c (+/-) in very little time then; sadly lots of children / pets are killed all the time as people are just dumb, ignorant, or forgetful.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#148I live in a pretty hot city (My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C yesterday at midday). 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. Hell, I'd consider it even if it would just keep the fa…
My gasoline Volvo has a feature where you can run the ac/heater remotely from a watch and phone app. It is limited to 15 minutes, but I find 5 minutes at full blast makes it very nice when I get in.
I believe hybrid Volvos can do this while using the battery.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#149Always wanted this, makes a lot of sense in the desert. Is Toyota still turning on the headlights in the daytime? Seems like it would negate this advancement.
You mean DRL's? They lead to a significant reduction in crash rate - and since much of a car's carbon impact is tied up in the manufacturing of the car, that is likely a far greater impact than running the DRL's all day. Plus, with LED DRL's becoming more common, the power drain is much less significant than the old incandescent lights. My old car ran the 55W headlights at around 40W each for DRL's. My new car has a…
No, the headlights were unable to be turned off on a friend’s old carolla. Was a while ago though.
Re: Toyota testing improved solar roof for EVs that can charge while driving
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
And then you have to figure, if you took the $ and mass budget of the solar cells, could you just make the battery pack a little bigger/better instead for the same or more gain? Keep in mind the gain would be more reliable. You wouldn't have to depend on sunny days, and sunny parking spaces. You also have to ask if the $ spent on these solar panels might be better spent on your house, where they will never be in an i…
Not everyone has a garage, or can practically run a line out to the street. A self-charging car would be a good option for many. The charge this can manage is more than I drive, i’d Be very interested.
It manages more than you can drive in ideal conditions. Sunny day, parked in the sun during the day, for probably a ton of extra cost (they are using very fancy solar cells). That might work for people who have a backup plan in arizona with unshaded parking spots available. Hopefully charging stations at apartments and city centers will continue to proliferate to make electric cars viable for more people.