The Biggest Problem With Trying To Directly Power EVs With Solar Roofs
A car roof can only catch so much sunlight, and adding more panels brings its own problems.
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A solar roof seems like an ideal EV accessory. Park outside, skip plugging it in, and drive away with a full battery. The problem is that even a relatively large car roof provides little room to harvest solar energy, and driving a modern EV requires significant electricity.
You might think to add more panels. However, additional hardware hinders the car in more ways than one. Added weight requires electric motors to work harder and thus draw more energy. Furthermore, extra hardware can compromise aerodynamics, increasing drag and lowering efficiency.
Car makers are attempting to overcome these limitations by testing solar panels that can be stretched when a vehicle is parked, along with light EVs that can go further on each watt-hour. However, implementing these concepts comes with practical challenges, which we'll...
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