Solar Panels Soon To Be Available For Tesla Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck

As we discussed in many articles before, solar roofs for any Tesla model could be a very interesting option. Now they will be readily available as solar kits from EVSolar Kits (@EvSolarKits), as per their Indiegogo campaign: they claim their solar charging kits can end range anxiety by providing up to 150 miles of range over 2 days.

Even though they are on the engineering phase, you can actually get on their email list in order to stay up to date with the latest developments of the technology. They stated that you can get up to 60 miles of added range per day: as we said before (in articles about solar for the Cybertruck and/or Roadster), the average North American driver goes 31 miles a day, while the average European driver goes 25 miles a day. So it basically means that you could potentially drive powered by the sun forever (or for as long as the battery pack and solar kits still work on your Tesla, after 15-20 years).

The solar kit combines a rooftop solar panel system, an extendable solar array that stores in the trunk, and a top of the line battery to store emergency charge to make any EV " better than ever." As I said in past articles, having a solar roof is an excellent idea for ANY electric vehicle (SUV, sedan, truck, Semi, etc.), as the technology basically allows to widely extend the range of the vehicles, and on the other hand, permits to drive almost entirely by getting energy directly from the sun. Some automotive engineers believe solar PV power may be the final and best solution to range anxiety in BEVs.

Several start-ups, such as Aptera Motors, Atlis Motor Vehicles, Fisker Inc., Lightyear One and Sono Motors, as well as very well known and established brands like Hyundai, Tesla and Toyota, are already developing solar cars or hybrid versions. They are integrating solar cells into roofs and windows, and considering other body parts, such as doors, hoods, tailgates and trunks.

EV Solar Kits states on their Indiegogo page that they "…are excited to bring our vision to life with our range of kits from EVSK. We have a top tier engineering and design team building a series of products to eliminate range anxiety and allow you to get the most out of your vehicle! It will allow your car to charge while you drive!"

They say they are "...focused on solving range anxiety with our line of portable solar charging kits for EVs. Join us as we try and make EVs more attainable for those with an adventurous lifestyle."

Another interesting point of view about solar-powered cars comes from an article by Steve Tengler in Forbes, which states that “…a few manufacturers - mostly start-ups - have developed various solar-powered vehicle designs, typically with the capability of augmented fueling via plug-in electric. The minimalist goal for some of them (e.g., Hyundai, Tesla, Toyota) is to extend the range of the electric vehicle by recharging without stopping. For others such as Aptera and Lightyear One, the goal is much greater: to rarely utilize the grid and achieve most of the fueling via the solar panels.”

You can take a look at EV Solar Kits video on the following link; and here is the link to their Indiegogo campaign.

What do you think? Will this be a suitable technology for a Tesla Model 3, Cybertruck or Roadster? Would you use it in your Model Y? Please let us know in the comment section below.

All images courtesy of Tesla Inc.

Nico Caballero is the VP of Finance of Cogency Power, specializing in solar energy. He also holds a Diploma in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and enjoys doing research about Tesla and EV batteries. He can be reached at @NicoTorqueNews on Twitter. Nico covers Tesla and electric vehicle latest happenings at Torque News.