Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ...

[Woodrick]

I thought we were talking about being parked with possibly short trips while camping? I don't think anyone was suggesting charging the truck in 90 minutes while camping.... Did I miss something? I may be skimming this thread too much.

I admittedly just ignore/skip over posts that are clearly only back and forths for some argument's sake.

That's the capacity of the device that I was talking about.

Oh, we were NEVER talking about charging the truck's battery that fast.

That would require 250kWh. That's 500 of the 500W solar panels. 9,000 sqft.

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[Crissa]

I'm assuming that when you say "car" you are talking a 12V battery.

Different rules when talking inverters and EV charging.

This is why an integrated solution is superior.

If you read my first post in this thread, I covered that.
https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...tery-to-get-unlimited-range.18699/post-338079

-Crissa

 

[Woodrick]

Why is it miles, and not days at a location?

-Crissa

Let's use an analogy.

Let's say that a watt is the same as a drop of water.

How many drops of water can you get from your solar distilling(from the air) system? How long will it take to fill the 5 gallon container? How many quarts are you supposed to be drinking daily?

This is why an integrated solution is superior.

If you read my first post in this thread, I covered that.
https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...tery-to-get-unlimited-range.18699/post-338079

-Crissa

It still doesn't matter. 7 days at 3kWh per day is 21 kWh. About 50 miles.
But you can't use the solar solution for anything else.

But integrated or separates don't matter. It's an inverter, solar panels and batteries, no matter how you package it.

 

[Darthamerica]

So, you admit you were wrong, and you're shifting to a different argument to make up for it.

I already wrote that I have, in fact, had experience with multiple systems. Your focus on miles shows that you don't actually pay attention to what happens to your Tesla while it's sitting around.

-Crissa

No, I admit I assumed you own a Cybertruck or a Tesla and understood what charging from non-ideal sources is like. Now I understand better. Thanks…

When you get one and try one of these experiments, you’ll know better!

 

[Darthamerica]

That's the capacity of the device that I was talking about.

Oh, we were NEVER talking about charging the truck's battery that fast.

That would require 250kWh. That's 500 of the 500W solar panels. 9,000 sqft.

Even then, Solar is not going to be very reliable or even be able to keep up with vampire drain if you’re using the vehicle in any way. To be clear, I’m not saying it’s impossible, bit more often than not you’ll be disappointed.

 

[Crissa]

It still doesn't matter. 7 days at 3kWh per day is 21 kWh. About 50 miles.
But you can't use the solar solution for anything else.

Okay, so that's 50 miles I didn't take out of the traction battery. And 42 more miles than the spare battery would have added alone.

All while not having to carry a flammable, noisy, fuel generator set.

-Crissa

 

[Crissa]

Even then, Solar is not going to be very reliable or even be able to keep up with vampire drain if you’re using the vehicle in any way. To be clear, I’m not saying it’s impossible, bit more often than not you’ll be disappointed.

Based on absolutely nothing.

The solar set could be on the backpack of the truck. Or sitting back at camp, waiting for you to return.

And yeah, the systems I'd been using for the last fifteen years require my car sit all day...

...But that's what my car does when stuck at a camp site while I'm off going places it can't go. If I go to a festival, it isn't allowed to move. If I go to the mountains to primitive camp, it isn't allowed on the trails and fire roads. If I'm at the beach, I'm off doing things in the sand or cliffs where motorized vehicles aren't allowed. If I'm sitting in an evacuation camp, I don't get an outlet to plug my car into, or get to drive it around, because I'm not rich and hence segregated into tent camping.

-Crissa

 

[Darthamerica]

Let's use an analogy.

Let's say that a watt is the same as a drop of water.

How many drops of water can you get from your solar distilling(from the air) system? How long will it take to fill the 5 gallon container? How many quarts are you supposed to be drinking daily?


It still doesn't matter. 7 days at 3kWh per day is 21 kWh. About 50 miles.
But you can't use the solar solution for anything else.

But integrated or separates don't matter. It's an inverter, solar panels and batteries, no matter how you package it.

Here’s something I think may be misunderstood. In the USA, you have to go REALLY far off the grid for any of this to be necessary. Most of the places people go to camp are going to be within a reasonable distance of a SC, DC-Fast Charger or 110V outlet. As long as you plan your trip well, and unless you’re staying for more than a couple of days, you‘ll have enough to drive to a charger when needed or for your return trip. That’s going to cost you a ~2-4 hours Plus whatever it cost to charge. Thankfully my Model S is grandfathered in with free SC for life! Cyberbeast however isn’t and I’d have to pay. In any case unless I’m using the vehicles for climate control or driving it around, I don’t often have to worry about range when I’m “camping.”

The only use case where current solar panel products make any sense is if I am going to leave the vehicle sitting unoccupied for a long time and I want to recover some range to maintain safety margin. I think if Tesla introduced an optional accessory that could be used for more than just a rare camping trip, it might be worth it to get 10-20 miles back while I’m working or otherwise not planning to use the vehicle for 8+ hours. Elon Musk mentioned the possibility of a solar panel system that could deploy wings like the Starlink satellites which would double the recovered energy. That would be interesting.

 

[Crissa]

Sure, a reasonable distance that you have to traverse before you run below the level of charge needed to return.

Even more annoyingly, there are many places you might leave your truck all day that don't have power at all. So you're constantly losing power. Which means you need to get back to your truck before it runs out.

Yeah, at 2% a day, that's like three months if you're sitting next to a charger. But that's down to a month if you've gone 1/4 of your range and it's down to a day if you've gone 1/2 of your range.

Not counting power you're pulling for camp mode and recharging your lights and devices.

-Crissa

 

[Darthamerica]

Based on absolutely nothing.

The solar set could be on the backpack of the truck. Or sitting back at camp, waiting for you to return.

And yeah, the systems I'd been using for the last fifteen years require my car sit all day...

...But that's what my car does when stuck at a camp site while I'm off going places it can't go. If I go to a festival, it isn't allowed to move. If I go to the mountains to primitive camp, it isn't allowed on the trails and fire roads. If I'm at the beach, I'm off doing things in the sand or cliffs where motorized vehicles aren't allowed. If I'm sitting in an evacuation camp, I don't get an outlet to plug my car into, or get to drive it around, because I'm not rich and hence segregated into tent camping.

-Crissa

Based on experience. Let me know when you try it yourself In a Tesla. Also I’d like to know who would leave their unattended Tesla with a few thousand dollars of solar panels and equipment sitting around while they are in an Aaron Rogers Darkness Retreat lol.

I think you mean well, but I don’t think you’re considering the practicality of this.

 

[Crissa]

Based on experience. Let me know when you try it yourself In a Tesla. Also I’d like to know who would leave their unattended Tesla with a few thousand dollars of solar panels and equipment sitting around while they are in an Aaron Rogers Darkness Retreat lol.

I think you mean well, but I don’t think you’re considering the practicality of this.

A) The panels are the only part exposed normally.
B) Panels aren't thousands of dollars.
C) Panels have even lower resale/recycle value, often negative.
D) Why are you leaving your truck somewhere vandals typically go?

I've never had trouble with vandalism where I go camping.

Your experience seems rather personalized, and not broadly relevant to Tesla vehicles.

-Crissa

 

[Darthamerica]

Sure, a reasonable distance that you have to traverse before you run below the level of charge needed to return.

Even more annoyingly, there are many places you might leave your truck all day that don't have power at all. So you're constantly losing power. Which means you need to get back to your truck before it runs out.

Yeah, at 2% a day, that's like three months if you're sitting next to a charger. But that's down to a month if you've gone 1/4 of your range and it's down to a day if you've gone 1/2 of your range.

Not counting power you're pulling for camp mode and recharging your lights and devices.

-Crissa

I assure you that it‘s not “2%” a day except in a very mild climate. And if it is a mild climate, then you’re likely going to be near population centers and people. That means there will be charging nearby negating the need for this.

 

[Darthamerica]

A) The panels are the only part exposed normally.
B) Panels aren't thousands of dollars.
C) Panels have even lower resale/recycle value, often negative.
D) Why are you leaving your truck somewhere vandals typically go?

I've never had trouble with vandalism where I go camping.

Your experience seems rather personalized, and not broadly relevant to Tesla vehicles.

-Crissa

When you get a Cybertruck, you’ll understand the kind of attention it attracts wherever you go.

 

[Crissa]

I assure you that it‘s not “2%” a day except in a very mild climate. And if it is a mild climate, then you’re likely going to be near population centers and people. That means there will be charging nearby negating the need for this.

Who camps in a non-mild climate? Well, I do. But I'm doing something other than 'hiding in the truck.'

When you get a Cybertruck, you’ll understand the kind of attention it attracts wherever you go.

That seems like it will be irrelevant by the time the truck is at a price I can afford. And also, mostly irrelevant to my camping style. Of the last five campgrounds I camped in, only one had more than one other person (and in fact, we got the last spot and shared it with an old man and his grandkid)

It's not a permanent effect, that the truck attracts attention.

-Crissa

 

[Darthamerica]

Who camps in a non-mild climate? Well, I do. But I'm doing something other than 'hiding in the truck.'


That seems like it will be irrelevant by the time the truck is at a price I can afford. And also, mostly irrelevant to my camping style. Of the last five campgrounds I camped in, only one had more than one other person (and in fact, we got the last spot and shared it with an old man and his grandkid)

It's not a permanent effect, that the truck attracts attention.

-Crissa

I appreciate your enthusiasm. Real world experience with these vehicles will temper your expectations a bit after you see what they can and can’t do.

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