Solar Panel Option

[Tslacg]

Not sure I believe their math. 6kw solar fixed mounted on the roof most likely they will only get 3.5-4x per day. Absolute best case scenario 5x. So based on 5x to get 100 miles that van would have to get 300wh/mi and I find that very unlikely. Also to get 5x that is only realistic in the USA in the SW high desert. I would bet more like 50 miles a day max realistically.

There's a video on YouTube about the guys driving from Alaska to Argentina in the rv, trying to do it only via solar power. They state that on a clear day in summer the battery will charge empty to full in 2 days and go 200 miles per charge. They also joked about how they were stuck in Alaska on the side of the road for almost 2 weeks trying to charge up.

They mentioned adding a 2nd battery lack, but I didn't catch the size of either battery bank.

It's cool to see them giving it a go, but certainly not realistic.

Extending the range or vampire drain of the CT is awesome. Using solar to go on an endless off road trek isn't likely. But I'm dying for someone to prove us wrong.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

Slapping high efficiency panels on the rear cover won't do much, but that would certainly handle vampire drain and "trapped in wilderness" anxiety. I'm sure they could make a 3 panel system that retracts under the cab roof out of solar tile tech with no problem.

Cybertruck has the perfect base for solar charging. A straight, sloped design is ideal for optional rear bed cover variants designed for massive solar charging. I actually forget how the rear bed cover pulls back, but if you imagine it as a base 3 utility sized solar panels the options are limitless.

First logical iteration is for contractors. You have two custom 600 Watt panels hard bolted into the CT that cover the bed and retract under the cab roof which is itself another 600 Watt panel. Obviously these can retract for utilizing the bed for cargo, but all three could also be raised to a 7ft high canopy that could tilt in any direction for optimal radiance. Off the three main panels you could clip 6 additional wings to create a 5.4kW rigid canopy array. Would be easy enough to add modest tracking capabilities to the array as well.

That's your base canopy charger that brings in maybe 30-50kWh a day depending on conditions. Enough to run a job site with no generator. Thin film technology makes it easy enough to have a secondary fold-out array of almost any capacity, depending on how much bed space you want to give up carrying it around.

The variant I'm interested in as a Jeep owner is the similar camping version. Wouldn't be tough to close off that canopy into a sleeping tent complete with movie projector and beer fridge.

All of Elon's companies develop products skewed for Mars use(FSD, solar, boring, hyperloop), so I wouldn't be surprised to see an integrated solar canopy some time fairly early in production.

 

[swilli98]

I'd almost prefer an MC4 style connector in the bed of the truck. That way, you can hook up an array of your own, either a solar suitcase style or a set of flexible panels that you stow in the bed. I get that it doesn't help for "driving around town" type charging, but for me the benefit to having solar is when I'm out camping. Limiting vampire drain and potentially adding some miles sounds great. If 15 miles a day is possible with the size of the truck, 20-30 should be doable with a larger external array that can face the sun. A week long camping trip could yield a couple hundred miles.. not bad!

I would think that having an external connection outside of the bed area would be better. It would allow you to be able to connect with the cover closed. Also if it has mounting points you could have a custom mount designed to carry solar panels and plug in.

 

[swilli98]

Will the solar version allow for charging while driving? Is that even possible?

 

[dazedNconfuzed]

Will the solar version allow for charging while driving? Is that even possible?

I'll assume so. I frequently run off batteries which I'm also charging. Just note you're only going to get, at best, 2-5 miles per day.

View the "solar bed cover" as an emergency backup power source, enough to get you to an outlet within a day. ...the kind of thing you'd be willing to pay near any price for in a pinch.

 

[swilli98]

I'll assume so. I frequently run off batteries which I'm also charging. Just note you're only going to get, at best, 2-5 miles per day.

View the "solar bed cover" as an emergency backup power source, enough to get you to an outlet within a day. ...the kind of thing you'd be willing to pay near any price for in a pinch.

I was saying external for if you were overlanding or camping and had additional solar panels and wanted to plug them in. Having an external connection would allow you to be in the vault and protected if you wanted to add additional solar panels.

 

[mark95476]

I love all of the thinking in this thread. The CT opens up so many options and possibilities. I've got my fingers crossed that Tesla includes the standard hooks for the RV, solar, ...etc... aftermarket.