A while ago I had a conversation with my uncle about alternative ways to power a car. He asked me if one day the regenerative braking system of an electric vehicle (EV) could become powerful enough to fully charge the battery of a car.
My answer was that a battery needs much more energy for a complete charge than most people think. Yes, the kinetic energy released by the resistance of an electric motor that tries to turn in the opposite direction – what we call regenerative braking – Can generate enough energy to add a few kilometers of reach. But there is simply not enough power generated, and not long enough, to considerably increase the load state of a battery.
I use that conversation with my uncle as parallel to other forms of energy transfer debates, such as, for example, Solar panels on the roof of a car. Yes, in theory, because cars are usually parked outside, it would only be useful to capture sunlight and transform into electricity to power their battery. And some car manufacturers have offered sun roofs on some of their models in the past. But for now, the amount of energy that these panels can catch miniscule compared to what an EV battery requires. But the technology improves!
To offer the most accurate and up-to-date information, this item uses data from various manufacturers and authoritative sources.
From engaging climate control systems to increasing EV range
A recent article in Automotive news I was interested in the issue. It emphasized some of the recent progress in the technology of solar panels, especially on the roof of cars. Not many regular car manufacturers have tried this, but there have been a few remarkable examples.
We can roll the clock back to the end of the nineties when Audi introduced a solar energy on solar energy for his flagship A8 Sedan. At the time, the technology sent the climate control system and he always allowed an always well -ventilated interior, even when the engine did not run. The Toyota Prius was also a pioneer in solar panel technology. The early systems worked in the same way as the arrangement of Audi, but the current Prius-Plug-in hybrid has a sunroof that can actually add reach to the car. Kind of.
Modern solar panel Charging still has restrictions
Although impressive compared to the early systems, the maximum catch speed of the PRius sunroof is relatively low at 85 watts or 2.2 kWh. That amounts to about 6.4 miles extra range. At that pace it would take about a week to fully charge the car.
So yes, it is possible to charge the battery of an EV or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) with only solar energy. But that will take a long time, in fact more time than charging with a level 1, 120-volt house output. It must also be sunny all the time. Add a few clouds or rain to the mix and you have just raised a few extra days that loading time.
Jan Henning Mehlfeldt, member of the Management Council at Webasto, the company behind the original solar design of Audi, believes that the technology only starts to show its full potential. He remains enthusiastic about where it is currently and how quickly it evolves, and will soon see a revolution in the world of EVs.
There is a very high interest in technology, and the roof is the perfect place for it. It is a statement. But there is still a discussion about what is for customers.
He’s right. Consumers will only really work for solar technology if it gives them a real profit. There is also the issue of costs. The Fisker Ocean was set up to offer a Solarsky Solar roof. It was developed and built by Webasto with the promise to add 1500 miles extra range per year, in ideal conditions. ie California. But among the three equipment levels, the Fisker-Ocean was offered, only the $ 68,000, top spec-ocean Extreme had the chic roof. That is a steep price to pay for only 1500 extra kilometers per year.
Experts ensure that Solar Panel Tech is progressing
Maximilian Hofbeck, the Director of Product Management of Webasto, says that the amount of strength that is laid down by solar roofs improves every year. For reference, the Solarsky roof of Fisker achieved around 23 percent efficiency when recording and transferring energy to the battery. Webasto says it is already able to increase that efficiency to around 27 percent. I mean, that’s progress. So yes, sun roofs can increase the range of an EV. But a bit for the time being. However, the technology remains promising. It is also nice to see that companies such as Webasto have invested in its development.
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