Austin Company Developing EV Solar Kits For Cars 

This is Rip, from the future in 2024, no product yet, but I think it's a really cool idea, especially if it's an easy thing to clip on and off for when you want the extra juice. I'm wonder how it effects aero and if it offsets those loss and more when you have on while driving around.

When I checked their website, there is still no production on this kit and worst of all "Returns & Refunds. We are unable to offer any returns/refunds on this kit" hard pass.

I wish this company gave monthly updates at least.

What’s also funny is that in road trips, the extra drag this will cause on the roof (which is a highly sensitive area for drag) will probably cost you in range close to what they are claiming - each leg of the trip…

I thought of using solar power to charge my Fiat 500e. I have an EcoFlow Delta 2, but I learned that possibly I could more accurately receive 50% of the listed solar panel watts. I jumped at a second 1kHr Delta 2 for under $700 during Amazon Prime Days. Now, I get 4+4 additional distance using the 2 machines.

Steele doesn't seem to know what "fast" charging is? Also, the solar kit looks to have a battery dedicated for solar storage. That's pretty wasteful. The solar panels charge the extra battery for a little while and then you convert that energy to AC to send to the car, the car converts that AC back to DC for the car's battery and then you drive around with an empty extra battery all day. I like the idea, but it needs to be integrated better to the car so you don't need to carry around a big extra battery.

its been 2 years and they aren't shipping any kits yet.

A lot of manufacturers don't add a solar roof to their cars simply because it isn't worth the added cost. Sure, if you want to go out and spend a few hundred or a thousand bucks for an aftermarket kit to get a handful of extra miles a day, go for it. However, there's not a large market for people who would pay for this to make it worth the dealership's cost in adding this to their production line and making it an option.

Cyber truck overlander kit might be the move

Wish the model 3 kit with the trunk foldout was available. I'd totally buy it.

Could you imagine an EV van with a complete solar roof and the free permanent range it would get !?

I am wondering if there are any news on this project. I'm looking forward to it being released!

I thought of this idea as a kid in the 80s but not for evs. Every car should have a panel simply just to top up the lead acid battery when not in use.

Love the idea

It would be more efficient to pump electrons in direct current directly into che car battery without using a Y splitter on the charging port and an additional battery and inverter. Also there is a lot of "solar real estate" not used on the frunk...

IT's a small thread. If the solar panels become efficient enough, then it's a good choice. But it may as well happen that battery themselves become too good, and you'd have a 1.000 km ev car that can also charge in 5min. In those conditions, roof solars are a waste of money. They are even now, if you consider recent Tesla cars updates.

It's a shame an inverter and battery are being used at all. This proposal isn't much more sophisticated than using your typical solar generator with some PV panels and plugging the vehicle in manually. While it would come with more NRE, the ultimate solution in terms of cost and efficiency is a custom MPPT charge controller that feeds the HV bus directly.

This sounds amazing. Been looking for a product like this for Wrangler 4xE and other vehicles.

25 miles per day perfect conditions is a lie. Ignoring losses, it would require about 6.25KWH from the panel, which would be about 16 hours perfect direct sun in the equator, which is impossible to get in 1 day. In the realm of reality, it may add 8-10 miles, which is decent, but isn't going to be your only source of charging.

I like that but link to website doesn't work

Can you add on to any car to make as camper. This is one of the needs before adding one of these cars to my property along with safer exchangeable batteries

late 2022? It is mid 2024 and still "pre-order"

I want one asap!!!!

Very good ❤

“More on this, tonight at 9”

The end goal us a cybertruck sized vehicle and a stepvan being covered with enough panels to go 30 miles a day.. and the abtteries are easily replaceable and afordable sorta like with NIO. Also with Full self driving.. Cant think of a vehicle more useful

Waiting for the Tesla guy taking up two parking spots with the foldout…

Well, what to say ... Solar isn't the way to charge these vehicles. Simply put, pv efficiency is still quite low, topping out at 22.8% as we speak. This means indirectly, that more surface will be needed to fight the low efficiency and get some meaningful results, in this case they call it charge. Imagine the car surface, ok, you would need to go x3,x4 that area to get the car exited. Theoretically, can be done, at home and if you designate the space or get all this stuff on the roof, it can be done. Next, forget about this direct charging from PV panel to vehicle battery. The EV needs a steady supply, could be at low amps(low speed charge) but cannot be up and down. This will destroy the vehicle ctrl system. This is what happened with Photo voltaic panels. The potential generated, changes based on light conditions and is everything but steady (over time). For this, the storage battery gets filled up and the vehicle can take charge from it. Losses under 10%< not too much added weight.

Bonet is missing the panel.

I believe Wasik took the pre-order money and ran away!!!

These cars are way to heavy and not aerodynamic enough for the panels to be of any real use. That’s where the Aptera comes in

the clip on roof needs to be flush with the vehicle otherwise it will ruin the aerodynamics, and hence, the mileage.

Imagine no battery drain and trickle charge keeping the main battery nice and warm. I'd be happy with just 5 or8 miles of charge per day.

Cyber kit?

Will it have some ac plug 110 and or 220v

Can you use an heliostat to charge it faster?

Is there a EV Kit (Roof clip on kit) I could use for my Subaru Crosstrek? I'm a apt dweller and could not set out the flex panels.

60 miles a day, lol. Maybe if you were parked on mount everest above the atmosphere in the middle of july, during a solar flare.

All this talk of solar powered EVs and not a mention about Aptera? That's a little bit of an oversight

This video a year old and they still haven't released anything

Off course it had to be for Tesla only Sad , Hyundai is going to take over the whole industry soon so they should start making them for Hyundai vehicles too as they will sell more in the future , great panels congrats

Terrible idea lol. Why would you want all those panels sticking out the back of your car. I’d never be able to park and use them in NY.

🥰🥰🥰👍👍👍

I would rip this right off every Tesla I saw and sell em on eBay

What ever happened to this?

When is it available?😂

This would void your Tesla warranty... The problem with solar on car roofs is they make very little energy and are useless.

need car to be cooked under the sun. gonna be hot and toasty when you get into the car.

vapor ware

8 hours of full sun will get you about 2-3 miles is what the industry can get. How do they get 25 miles? It's either a billion dollar company or pump and dump.

25 miles? Do they not know how to do math? Snake oil, folks. Just buy an Aptera, which will actually work.

😂 bro come on. You’re gonna have to leave it parked up on the street for a week to get 100 miles out of it. IN OPTIMAL conditions.. not to mention you lose the panoramic view and it looks “average”

Not a real product yet still nothing available, this guy seems to be scamming people at this point in time. Don't give them money until they actually have a product.

Read the title as "Autism Company"

this guy wants to buy some dogecoins..

Nice idea but completely pointless. I would have to drive my Tesla Model 3 for 10 years to even come close to a break even. Also lets not forget that charging your battery too slow is also stressful for the battery.