How Many Solar Panels Are Needed To Charge A Tesla

Calculate Solar Cost For Your Home - geni.us/solar_...
EV Solar Panel Calculator - geni.us/Mh1Qyj
Peak Sun Hour Map: geni.us/ZZEAFHz
L14-30 to NEMA 14-50 Cable - geni.us/W0SA3M1
Neutral to Ground Plug - geni.us/ZN2zms4
Delta Pro 3 Plus - geni.us/F9wfz
Many people underestimate the number of solar panels needed to offset the energy consumption of an electric vehicle and normal daily use. I will run an experiment with a DIY solar setup charging my Cybertruck all day to see how many miles of range we can add. Additionally, I will show you a calculator where you can enter in your own EV, daily range, solar panel size, and a few other factors to get the number of panels needed for your own use case.
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@everydaysolar]

Calculate Solar Cost For Your Home - geni.us/solar_reviews EV Solar Panel Calculator - geni.us/Mh1Qyj Peak Sun Hour Map: geni.us/ZZEAFHz L14-30 to NEMA 14-50 Cable - geni.us/W0SA3M1 Neutral to Ground Plug - geni.us/ZN2zms4 Delta Pro 3 Plus - geni.us/F9wfz DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@brianmills4891]

We really need a DC to DC charging option for EV's the Conversion of DC solar input to AC battery output, back to DC battery is also inefficient.

[@everydaysolar]

For sure, a LOT of loss. There isn't a good option for DC-to-DC on the market, right?

[@brianmills4891]

Not that I’m aware of

[@mnotlyon]

@@everydaysolar Charge controllers are technically DC to DC, but I'm not aware of one that outputs the 400 or 800 volts needed to charge the CT. You'd need a pretty good set of panels in a series to support that, and it would make the set up a bit more dangerous for amateurs.

[@rynieryarom4277]

@@brianmills4891 the channel Out of Spec Reviews, just reviewed a small portable DC charger. It was meant for fleet charging, so there isn't a solar input. But I guess the tech isn't far off

[@Remas20007]

@@mnotlyon Most commercial panels don't support a system that is above 500 volts in series

[@mwaldyke]

Here’s my example: I have a 6 kW solar installation that is good for about 40 kWh on a sunny day. From this I can add about 20 kWh to my Model Y if the car is home and can be charged during the day. I get about 4 miles/kWh, so about 80 miles added in a day. That’s more than enough for my daily driving. The catch is that if my car is at work with me, it’s not charging at home. I have a Powerwall, but its capacity is 13.5 kWh (about 11 kWh if I maintain a 20% reserve on the battery), so that’s the most I can get if I charge the car at night from the Powerwall. And clouds, rain, or snow can dramatically lower the output of the panels. The panels and battery cover the entire load from the house during the day when electric rates are high, and I charge the car at night when rates are low, so it works pretty well for me.

[@DrMatthewHudson]

Wait... You bring in 40 kWh but your powerwall only holds 13.5 ....and you and 20 kWh to your car? How does that work?

[@mwaldyke]

@@DrMatthewHudson The solar panels also power the house during the day. Any leftover production goes into the grid, and I get paid for it. DTE Energy no longer offers net metering, so I get about half what they charge to send me power, but my excess production gets used and I get some money for it.

[@ChristmasEve777]

@@mwaldyke DTE here in Michigan is bringing back Net Metering in (I think they said) October of this year, which is just next month. The program will have a different name but essentially be the same. I'm grandfathered in to Net Metering but the problem is that if they drop it completely and never reintroduce it, people grandfathered in only have a set number of years before it expires. It's a huge game. I dread having to use expensive batteries to store power. I like paying DTE $8 to $12 a month to be my 3 MWh battery.

[@volvodashcam]

One think this shows is that with a pretty small setup you would still be able to have a working car in a total crisis where nothing around you works. Like after a big hurricane or other disaster. Even longterm you would be able to use the car/truck. That would not be doable with anything needing diesel or petrol.

[@who6339]

Fuel can be stabilized for a very long time and is vastly more energy rich.

[@volvodashcam]

@@who6339 Fuel like diesel and petrol can't be stores for long. It gets bad in a few months. You can buy special fuel and diesel for 2-3 times the cost that will have a longer lifetime. I used to do that when I used petrol for my lawnmower and snowblower before I switched to electic on those as well.

[@brianmills4891]

This is good to show for the sake of reality. I get asked all the time why Tesla doesn't make their roofs out of solar panels. People who have never used solar don't really understand the amount of panels and consistent sun it takes. That being said, whole home solar is very affordable these days and people also do not understand how quickly a solar system pays for itself when you're offsetting the cost of gasoline or diesel fuel in a vehicle. Residential solar paired with an EV or two is a very good combination for personal finances.

[@Bercik87]

There should be at least an option for solar panels. This maybe couldn't charge the car to full in reasonable amount of time but could reduce consumption while Sentry is on, or at least offset this annoying Vampire Drain.

[@endstay]

You may not realize that in California, where the sun is abundant, it now costs more (@ 48 cents per kWh) to fuel with the sun than with gasoline.

[@CaseyMau]

@@endstayall the more reason to charge off the SUN than the grid. The point of DIY solar is you pay for the equipment up front and then get electricity for the life of the solar.

[@whattheschmidt]

22 panels (14 on my garage - 5.4kw and 8 on my house - 2.5kw) offsets all of my EV and my house electrical use every year. 9mwh per year or just under. Small house in Michigan. YMMV.

[@koruki]

It’s cause Nissan stuck a pathetic little panel on their spoiler pretending it does something lol

[@markmonroe7330]

So basically, for most people that drive to work, you cant actually charge the EV at home during the day when the sun is out. If you have enough panels to actually provide the kilowatts during the day and then enough battery to store that so that it can be transferred to the EV when you get home, it will work just fine - assuming the sun was out that day. Of course, there is a significant cost for that setup and the labor to install, maintain it and save to eventually replace/update it. Makes driving a hybrid Camry with $3 fuel look like a bargain and money well spent - especially when it comes time to resell it.

[@pedrohizzle2835]

exactly

[@mrcleanisin]

Just buy two EVs and leave one on charge at home.

[@hsew]

In reality, you could build a 10kW solar charging array for about $10-15k DIY and that would be basically perfect for 80-120 miles per day depending on the vehicle.

[@ahaveland]

@@hsew pretty sure that's less than 10k now.

[@macmcleod1188]

And you probably would have a day a week you really didn't drive and that would slowly charge you up to full.

[@SSJRapter]

10kw full setup without mounting is like 8k pre-rebate

[@rxonmymind8362]

Basically need a farm of solar panels to charge a Tesla model x or truck.

[@Willabeast]

@@rxonmymind8362 as long as its not mounted to a house or tied to the power grids at all. maybe in this price but most places require it to be installed by professionals on a house

[@davidbeppler3032]

Next do how many gallons of fuel to fill a gas car. Start with the energy required to pump it, transport it, store it, transport it again, refine it, transport it again, pump it again, then burn it.

[@maximusjoseppi5904]

Would you like to talk about how many gallons of fuel it takes to make a battery? 🤣 The car battery in your ev required more diesel fuel to create than an f350's engine will consume in it's lifetime of service. Rare earth minerals are mined on the other side of the planet in huge mines with huge machines destroying countless acres of land and poisoning the earth with slave labor, then put on trucks to go to a container ship that travels 10,000 miles to the US where it takes more huge machines to put it on another truck to take it to battery factories...... Where an f350's diesel engine is made right here in the US. After all that, the 123kw lithium ion battery in my cybertruck is useless toxic waste cause it costs more to recycle it than it does for slave labor to get raw mats. Electric cars are not better for the environment on a grand scale, just as far as the nose.

[@TheHoofSmith]

@@maximusjoseppi5904 That was back in the Tesla Roadster days. Now with every device on the planet moving to electric from laptops to phones to mowers to chainsaws. The recycling of Lithium has become easy and cheap and this is the first generation. Think of model T level of development in battery tech. Over the next 100 years wth solid state batteries and solar roof/windows your care will charge for free. Plus an upgrade to 2000mile batteries will be a swap out for common old EV's. Look at the 100 years of development of combustion engines.

[@snakevenom4954]

​​@@maximusjoseppi5904 Your first argument is extremely false. An ICE vehicle will pollute more from the fuel alone than producing an EV, the battery, and charging of the car for it's lifetime. Nevermind the cost of producing the ICE vehicle and maintaining it. My source is the ICCT paper called "A global comparison of the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of combustion engine and electric passenger vehicles."

[@maximusjoseppi5904]

@@snakevenom4954 haha there's countless data and math, no studies needed, to prove what I said is true. A diesel engine is made in the United States, it never needed to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a tanker for any part of it. The battery components do.... That alone, not including the mining, uses more fuel than the engine will in its entire existence. If you want facts, never look at something called "life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions" 🤪🤣 They have an agenda literally in the title.

[@yankeedoodle7693]

@@TheHoofSmith find me one company that is currently recycling EV batteries and functioning in the black without federal grant money

[@tomc.4860]

My son and I built an electric car about 12 years ago. I drove it to work everyday and charged it at work. We thought about using solar power to charge the car but the problem was that the car was at my workplace all day when the sun was out and back at home at night. The only way we could figure to use solar power at home was to buy another battery pack big enough to store the energy that could then be transferred to the car in the evening. This proved to be way too expensive at the time so we could not use solar power. If you have solar power available at work where the car is all day then you're all set.

[@everydaysolar]

That's sweet, did you guys retrofit an ICE car or build it from the ground up? What did you use for your battery pack?

[@musashi-san____1409]

Smart putting the cardboard insulation. 👍

[@jasonbroom7147]

More excellent content and a great demonstration of just how many solar panels it would take, under ideal conditions, to drive a dumpster 30 miles, round trip, each day.

[@everydaysolar]

Stainless Steel Dumpster 😂

[@Jferrari427]

Holy cow, that’s a lot more panels that I thought! Great video.

[@everydaysolar]

Thanks for the feedback. It is surprising for 95% of people. Including me 🙂

[@unaffiliated_x9279]

​@@everydaysolar Honestly, I thought it would take more panels.

[@PeterSedesse]

to be fair, he didn't put his solar panels out until late in the day, and his math was for the cybertrash, not for a normal EV.

[@NanjingOrientalMetalworkCoLtd]

@@PeterSedesse And the panels are in quite old type. 9 pcs of modern same size panels can output max. 4+ kW power.

[@erictstahl]

I have a 1,800 watts of panels on my house roof with DIY victron charge controllers/inverter, and 2 206 ah batteries. I use it to charge my model 3 every day while the car is sitting around the garage. On a good day in the summer I get 25-30 miles of range. I get more miles charging during the day vs filling my solar batteries and then charging the car from them.

[@HighwalkerMTG]

I would love to more about this i am thinking of a similar set up for my model 3

[@Oxazepam65]

I use a special device to heat the interrior of my car during the cold months with solar power. That same device also allowes me to see outside the car without having to open the door.

[@liamvg]

What is it?

[@Oxazepam65]

@@liamvg Windows

[@evahsia]

Per your Cybertruck calculation: 30m/day * 365 days = 11,000 miles for a 3.57kW system. For actual results, I get 10.0 MWh per year from my roof system (7.62 kW rated, eastern WA, 4.4 solar hours, ~83%). That will give me about 20,000 miles per year at 0.48 kWh/mile in my F150 Lightning. (F150 Lightning is not on your list in the calculator, consider adding!)

[@everydaysolar]

Great stuff and thanks for the feedback. I will get the Lightning added 👊

[@timcat1004]

Your math is way off. Try and get those numbers in December.

[@whattheschmidt]

@@timcat1004 You miss the point - he offsets across the year. As for the winter time, people tend to drive less during the winter as well, less trips and less driving on average typically. Who cares.

[@chrisregister8021]

My question would be. How many stick on solar panels could you put on there? And how much would it extend your range while driving?

[@MIkeKDBA]

It would probably be about the same or worse results. you can drive 320 miles on the interstate, which is the cybertruck range, in about 5 to 6 hours. During that time, you probably won't be able to get more than a few kwh from the sun. If you consider that the highest rated residential panels are about 500 watts and the battery capacity of the cybertruck is about 123 Kwh, you would need about 50 panels to collect that much power over a five hour period.

[@polarbearigloo]

for all that utility im suprised they did not add a mppt in the bed for direct solar. and they do have bidirectional..

[@rynieryarom4277]

The channel @solarcannonballrun did this running a tesla from coast to coast. He had a portable system with theoretical power of 6.4kw, but 5kw real world. That took him something like 3 days to charge up his car each time. It's a cool setup with space and weight constraints

[@everydaysolar]

I saw a few of those videos. That was a pretty cool test trying to get from coast to coast on only Sun Power.

[@bradallen1832]

@@everydaysolar A robotic tent that puts itself up and has very thin solar membrane members so it can stow well probably would work better than strong hail-resistant panels made for home, but current tech is bad for that since it breaks when it is bent. For now, the big challenge would be packaging it in such a way that the panels remain totally flat and low weight. The robot helps, since it could do a consistent job each time, but programming and engineering all this would be costly, and out of range of most corporations on something with such thin margins like this. But if this is solved, then it could conceivably turn into as large an array as someone can afford; perhaps 20kW? That's a lot of space, and would require some tricky wind tech to handle gusts. Currently very very difficult, but not impossible.

[@da.bao.1]

Awesome hobby 😊

[@chrisp1336]

Thank you for your focus on Solar and Charging for EV's and E to Grid. Very interesting.

[@Yusufu-92]

Very good experiment. Thanks for sharing and take care of yourself.

[@SirDragonClaw]

Your system had so many extra losses, another 20% for the in/out of the ecoflow. Also considering no one has cybertrucks and they require twice as much energy as most EVs like a Tesla model Y, you should have that for your range estimates.

[@OtherwiseDonkey]

This is a good subject for a video. Thanks.

[@everydaysolar]

You bet!

[@NickWindham]

You need an ultra efficient EV, like the Aptera, for solar to add significant range. However, charging an Aptera from panels on your roof would be enough to be its sole source of energy.

[@everydaysolar]

I hope they get to production. Sounds like they are production some "production intent" vehicles soon so they should be getting close 🤞.

[@NickWindham]

@@everydaysolar yeah, I made a reservation for an Aptera but requested a refund because there’s so many insiders saying the two CEOs are just burning money.

[@sahyouniron]

Can you use the NEMA TT-30R (30 amp, 120V) output port on the side of the delta pro 3 with a 14-50R adapter to charge? If so, what are the benefits of using the L14-30 instead?

[@SlickEdge]

How many total solar panels can be attached to the Delta Pro 3 at once? Do you have all 9 of those 300W+ panels plugged into that single power station? During off-roading trips in something like a Cybertruck, is it possible to pack like 12 EcoFlow portable 400W solar panels, then also pack 2-3 Delta Pro 3’s & the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2, granting 100+ miles of range per day when stationary at a campsite? If that is possible, I’m surprised Tesla doesn’t sell their own portable solar panel pack, I know it would be crazy expensive but still.

[@AdrianMcDaid]

How many are needed to charge electic vehicle. In short alot. Lots of sunshine. Required.

[@whitlockbr]

Theres a fellow that did a 'solar cannonball run'(name of the youtube channel) using only solar panels and his model Y. He had 6kw of flexible 100 watt panels(they could be stacked like paper so took up less volume than your rigid panels) and they were angled toward the sun. It got him across the country... He used a different inverter/charge controller setup though because of the power input (6kw) What does that ecoflow top out at?

[@wzDH106]

Summer in the PNW - I'm usually able to fill my 10 kWh of DIY off grid batteries in a day using 1600 watts of solar. But after charging our Mini SE, that translates to a similar 7 kWh post losses. Still, a far more efficient vehicle offering up to 35 miles a day from the big ball of fusion in the sky.

[@DrMatthewHudson]

At my house we have poles that have wires that bring electricity directly to my house. I just pay based on how much i use. Much cheaper and easier. You guys should look into it

[@everydaysolar]

😂, sounds fancy.

[@nycbearff]

Well, not cheaper, and not as dependable, but a nice historical reference.

[@JWG2014]

Kind of what I expected. I was thinking of using the Cyber truck as a battery - Putting some panels in the back yard - about double of what you had and when the power is out, use the truck as a battery. Im moving to Fl and well... hurricanes.. if the truck can charge a couple of days and get 50 miles then I dont have to worry about being stuck if the power says off

[@odnamrod]

There are some losses when going PV -> battery then battery -> inverter. How much less overhead would there be if your battery was pre-charged to N% and the car was directly charged at a rate similar to what the panels would generate? The battery would serve as a volltage buffer for clouds/etc.

[@JaySelle]

Very cool. In an apocalypse situation you could go for years as long as not exceeding ~18 miles a day. While all gasoline vehicles would rust out. But more practically, this is a lot of money in charging and storage so it will never pay for itself. It’s just fun and because you can kind of thing.

[@JFabric500]

You should also add in the daily drop when Sentri mode is one. It’s close to .8 per day.

[@benkanobe7500]

Would it hurt the Tesla if you cut out the Delta Pro battery and had an enphase Iq8 or Hoymiles 2000 micro inverter connected to the panels and then directly connected through the NEMA 50 to the Tesla's charger?

[@denisbalic3229]

This is great! I wish more people played around with charging on portable solar/wind. I think someone should do try to travel across the country charging only on their portable power systems.

[@YeOldeTraveller]

Already been done. Model 3 last year.

[@markdoland7038]

what does all this equipment cost? ????

[@michaelriecher5632]

Yes, my thoughts exactly he never did address that.

[@gregpochet4812]

You should mention that not all EVs and EVSEs can change their amps. So if you use a 40 AMP EVSE with say a Bolt EUV, it would not work with this setup. I own a Bolt and ID4 and had to buy a EVSE that I could change the amps to charge at family and friends places. Great Video!

[@mnotlyon]

Really? So if you were in a bind, you couldn't charge your Bolt with a standard extension cord?

[@jamesdiserio4020]

Will an EV truck manufacturer ever put an MPPT input in the bed so u can charge it with panels - like on a campsite- for days when u are camping offgrid. Ecoflows solar generator works, but seems like it should be built into the vehicle.

[@everydaysolar]

That would be cool and more efficient if we could go DC to DC.

[@markm6488]

It shows one thing, it is possible to charge an enormous EV with just a basic solar setup. It could come in very handy in a bad situation, especially if you can't get a hold of gasoline to run a generator or use a gas car.

[@tris3s10]

This is great insight and true experience on what others may not have the capability to do. But I appreciate your testing and methodology. 18 miles may not get you far but it’ll definitely move the ball forward. I’d say depending on your scenario will dictate how effective this is. Also there are features you can turn off on the EV to manage your demand.

[@Top12Boardsport]

I have a Model S and I need only 10 pcs 250 watt panel at a good angel and that is enough for my everyday driving, I have 64 pcs 250 watt panels on my roof. These panels are now 15 years old still produce almost the same as when they were brand new.

[@michaelfoster3441]

Great video Can you charge an electric car or electric truck using a Delta pro 3 and ecoflows Dual fuel smart generator combined , once the delta pro reaches 30% the smart generator can kick in at 2900 watts. And charge the delta pro back while you are charging the truck, could you charge the truck up fully using that method?

[@scanadaze]

Most power stations are like a home. Only 40 amps. I own a power converter that is 5,000 watts at 500 amps. I always wandered what my power converter would do charging an EV. I have land. I haven't touched yet. It's 100% off grid. In the middle of nowhere. Why I want an EV but to be able to charge it on the property. Three nearest towns are 30 miles away each. Thanks for sharing.

[@everydaysolar]

You bet, best of luck on your future project(s).

[@johnkayak10]

So about $2.38 worth of diesel for my chevy Colorado 2.8 diesel that gets 25 miles per gallon How many days equals payback for the cost of that equipment?

[@chadsway88]

Great video, thanks for the info. Ideally, a foldable solar package that can charge the car directly or at least add 100 miles within a 1-2 day time frame. Also once portable battery packs come down in price, it’ll be great.

[@dailyrider2975]

My EV I-miev was only 16kWh, got over 4 miles/kWh, used less then 10 daily. Few times I used more was either testing or 2 different trips in one day with hours in between. So our 10 panel solar was more than enough for car and house while using lowest tier of grid power, if at all. So get a used EV for all your city/grocery/commuting needs. Cheap to get and cheap to run. Old, old lady totaled I-miev while waiting in drive thru, nothing I could do (Vehicle still drove, just so much damage to plastic body Insurance said it was to expensive to repair for it's value). So I've gone cheaper with EV-scooter. Miss the I-miev, might get something similar again.

[@George_us]

I am adding this comment because I am not sure if the online calculator is clear enough for someone without technical background to fully understand it. The calculator is simply showing that one needs to use an inverter with ten 360-watt panels for 4.2 hours to add 30 miles to the Cyber Truck or 12KWH (0.4 KWH/mile * 30 miles). However, the calculator doesn't use KWH unit and is not aware of any battery storage (KWH). For example, you mentioned that you have 4KWH+4KWH of battery storage. So, "ideally", one can add 30 miles to the Cyber Truck much under 4.2 hours if the batteries are charged and the inverter is rated for the output current. The calculator is a good start but needs more parameters (e.g., battery KWH and amount of charge level). Average driver uses 30-50 miles per day and I have looked at the KWH numbers to get those miles and it requires a very small solar system (i.e., 10KWH for battery storage and 5KW rated inverter).

[@maxh4195]

Cool idea. I’m not an engineer but is there a way to charge the EV without using the battery? I would think there’s a lot of waste charging a power station to then charge another power station.

[@tmmehedi]

Solar panels can produce good amount of electricity but the amount need to charge your EV/Tesla is huge...

[@tripzero0]

This is similar to what im doing now. I charge up a bluetti ac300 6KWh bettery while im at work with solar (or at night during off peak) and charge my truck when i get home. It adds a 4-6% more juice. I only use 4% to work and back, so it works fine. Its anything extra i do during the day that sets me back. I probably need to expand to 12KWh or bring in the grid when the battery goes below 20% or so. I'm planning on doing both. I also want to put panels on the truck itself. My calculations suggest i can get 800W of panels over the bed and sunroof. If I go backpacking, I fugure I can get around 40 miles back with 800W over 4 days.

[@dailyrider2975]

Fun fact my EV-cargo bike on throttle only uses 0.025 kWh/mile at 15mph. Also a great grocery getter or toss some seats on for the bambinos to be ridden to daycare/school.

[@jebediahkerman3946]

This is why I want an Aptera. Up to 40 miles per day solar charging with the 700 watts onboard solar. If they could just get the dang thing into production.

[@everydaysolar]

Yeah, I am rooting for them to make it but producing a car is not an easy task for sure.

[@ethereal.fluffy]

You can actually triple number panel using flexible panel

[@everydaysolar]

In terms of what I can fit in the Cybertruck bed? I am trying to think through how to make a string of flexible panels that I could quickly pull out of the truck bed and easily pack back into the truck bed.

[@chibiblaziken1587]

I'm pretty sure the math would cut the number of needed panels in around half, at least nearly with 700w panels. The issue is the startup cost, The higher wattage panels you get the less panels you'll actually need which means you can fit more that accomplish more in less space. But also those same panels cost more making it hard for many to justify buying the better ones when they can barely afford the average 300ish watt panels from Amazon or what have you as is. Regardless I would be interested in seeing the difference on a diy settup using a few 700 watt panels In the same ground configuration or even leaving the truck bed on the cyber truck open and letting it charge through at least one of them while you're driving around to see if it makes a good dent or not. Regardless awesome video, the more information people get on these types of situations and setups the better informed they can be about making a decision.

[@sokmunky4104]

All I know is that even with home solar panels you don't make your money back until after like 7-10 years of continuous usage and that is as long as nothing goes wrong. So even then after cost you would have to do this regularly for years to really make the cost back.

[@teku412]

This would make more sense for a more efficient car like a model 3. For the surface area, solar panels really need to double in efficiency at these DIY prices. It will happen, just need it to be here faster

[@greggg4011]

Using your method you're going to use up battery cycles. Why aren't you trying to generate 660W and using the 110 charging plug?

[@pro.rodrigoh]

I have a Y and had a 3. I always though about using a setup like that but unfortunately for my need (150 miles/day average) it wouldn't cut :( One thing that you didn't mention was the price and when you would break even (in miles !) That is something I havent' seen around.

[@Xavier1...]

What about connecting directly with a solar charge controller and using the battery of the cybertruck as your "mobile power station" wouldn't it also be more efficient to covert the electricity only once ?

[@Xavier1...]

Nervermind I saw the answer in an other comment thanks

[@12vLife]

I know roof mounted solar will never be enough to charge the car for driving, but what if the goal in a future EV van, was to have 500 watts of solar on the roof so that running the OEM A/C while parked did not deplete the EV battery. Also wonder if this is a safe DIY project since we would be tapping into a very high volt battery and sophisticated electrical system. Worry it would void the warranty too. Would be awesome if future EV vans offered a safe interface input for solar input.

[@alexandrustefanmiron7723]

Do you guys don't have calculators or a pen and paper?

[@d5kenn]

If the CT had a more direct solar option (e.g., solar straight to Tesla mobile charger), would you get noticeably more energy into the battery? IOW, what's the loss of going solar->ecoflow->mobile charger->CT?

[@thehonesttruth8808]

My question too…lot’s of inefficiencies….would!’t it have beem cool if they made the tonneau cover with some sort of solar array?

[@d5kenn]

@@thehonesttruth8808 Elon actually said this would exist, and it could charge between 15-30 miles a day. Of course, solar tonneau isn't a thing with the current CT release, but it is something they've acknowleged.

[@BoBo-tx9sp]

Entirely unrelated question, but what kind of plants are growing on your garage?

[@liveyourdream7102]

put all thoes solar panels on a trailer roof and trail it with your cybertruck charging whole day long directly your cyber truck.. 2 benefits you have a lot of space loading stuffs on the trailer and your cybetruck is always fully charged ;-) only bad aspect is the needed parking and turning space ;-)

[@chipchiperson679]

The fact that you have to provide shade for your power station instead of having a solar energy source for it is an oxymoron. When they come out with an all in one for that and the vehicle itself then it’s a real game changer.

[@keithrosenberg5486]

Obviously if you do a lot of driving, you will need a lot of solar panels to charge your Tesla. Or a grid connection. Now for a word problem in mathematics. Calculate going across the US in your Tesla using nothing but the solar system it can carry along. How long would the trip take?

[@everydaysolar]

There was a guy recently that did a "Solar Cannonball" run coast-to-coast and took around 60 days.

[@keithrosenberg5486]

@@everydaysolar That does not surprise me.

[@pedrohizzle2835]

I have 28 solar panels. I have a pool. My electric bill is always under $20. I bought a Cybertruck, I charge it like 5 times a month. My bill has been over, $200 one month and $165 last month. This is very disappointing. I guess I can't charge my Cybertruck at home. I am doing a test this month to make sure my bill goes back to normal. Halfway through the month my total net usage is -48 kwh, so I am on track. I really thought 28 panels would be enough to be able to have a pool and charge my truck as needed. This is not the case. I am now considering selling the truck.

[@RONderluck]

I charge my cyber truck exclusively with solar power. My electric bill is eight dollars a month.

[@ripvanstinkle]

That was actually more than I thought you’d get

[@charlesk46563]

Saved around $3 a day on gas, around $1000 a year, solar panels at $300 x 10= $3000 ecoflo delta $2000 wires and controllers $500 total around $5500 so it would pay for it self in only around 6 years.

[@MySquishable]

How much do those panels cost?

[@johnqcitizen9177]

Great video. I thinking of buying the ecoflow 3 and some panels to offset my electricity for my M3 and Mx so this video was right on target for me. I also live in Illinois

[@everydaysolar]

Yeah, it is doable and with the 2600W solar input of the DP3 that helps make the numbers a little better for offsetting daily driving needs. Also, take a look at the Ultra it might even be a better option since the solar input of the DPU is 5600W!

[@johnqcitizen9177]

@@everydaysolar thank you I will.

[@yeanswers]

Epic insight. Literraly free fuel.

[@tmmehedi]

Charging your tesla in home with solar is good idea , at least you can daily drive it totally free of cost.

[@Terrillthegreat79]

Any thoughts on the EV roof rack solar systems? Would you review them?

[@moderngunguy3666]

You could have backed the truck all the way up to the end of the cement and put the panels in the grass where you would have been catching sunlight sooner

[@everydaysolar]

Want to be able to mow the lawn that same day 🙂

[@Zellot360]

Not sure you meant to display your location from the Tesla app.

[@graphguy]

Great practical experiment!

[@everydaysolar]

Thanks!

[@anthonymalovrh2912]

Calculator did not work for me. Have had solar since 2008.

[@everydaysolar]

Hmmm, thanks for letting me know. What web browser are you using?

[@klaymoon1]

Tesla needs to release DC to DC chargers for the homes with a Powerwall.

[@everydaysolar]

That would be awesome!

[@brianyerington3798]

Depends on where you live; in the California North Bay area, my commute is 120 a day - so, not being able to do such a commute on pixie dust and unicorn piss, I rely on good dependable gasoline. I'm okay with solar, but it has its limits, practicality speaking.

[@firesofcreation]

That was less than what I thought you’d get. How much did that setup cost you?

[@ahmedbarakat4285]

do you have a calculator for out of US?

[@macsvoltage5723]

The writers of this show are so talented, someone in this series might be encased in Carbonite before the end of this season!

[@rustyheyman214]

Interesting. Renting with a plug in and work from home in SoCal. Would like cheap and easy portable system to charge my car.

[@FreshAirRules]

Can one not charge the car directly off the panels without charging the battery then discharging the battery by charging the car? Seems wasteful. Of course an inverter would be used to match up the voltage.

[@Electronzap]

Nice test, good info.

[@everydaysolar]

Thx!

[@smacleod69]

You are losing 20% of capturing, charging and transferring of power to the cyber truck. Is there not a switch in the settings tojust to go to DC to DC charging. Instead of DC to AC and AC to DC.

[@everydaysolar]

I don't think so and agree a lot of loss comes from that jumping back and forth.

[@nithinmestha2688]

I am indian Very good important information Thank you sir

[@everydaysolar]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@MoltenSamurai]

With how little I drive, I could get away with half that setup and rarely go below the charge limit. Fortunately, I have free charging at work anyway, so charging is always free.

[@dano1234v]

Tax guys could be watching that is a taxable benefit

[@tomc.4860]

This big electric car uses a lot of power and so solar is a difficult sell. I ride an e-bike to work everyday and I do charge it off the solar panel in my RV. Because it's only a 12 amp hour battery it is very feasible to charge it off solar power

[@Keith80027]

You can charge a EV with solar cells, but is it practical? I have 3 solar cells on my RV and that just charges the house batteries to run a gas Ref, lights and 2 computers and that only last for a day. If no sun the next day, it is generator time.

[@ahaveland]

@@Keith80027 If you have the area and the panels then it's practical.

[@Niko-rq7ie]

Absorption type refrigerators are very power hungry if ran on electric mode. Compressors type works well with batteries. Some absorption models use over 3 kWh per day. Enough to drive Tesla Model 3 ev for 20 kilometers.

[@Keith80027]

@@Niko-rq7ie I use just the lp mode on solar cells because of the high current needs when running on AC power.

[@Niko-rq7ie]

@@Keith80027 Then it sounds like you have very low insolation combined with worn out battery. I have cottage with 12 kWh industrial lead battery 11 years old and 550 watts solar. It runs 350 l fridge, lights, coffee maker, electric oven with 2 hotplates (used 2-3 times per weekend) and TV for 2 days with no sun at all.

[@Keith80027]

@@Niko-rq7ie I have only two deep cycle 6 volt batteries at 220 amps, so 100 amps max to full use in order to protect the batteries.

[@jessemitchem3880]

Basically tells us nothing. Also, how much loss is there from having the battery in between. 5, 20%? Seems like we lost a lot and didn’t account for it wisely at all

[@dailyrider2975]

So solar is converted to DC battery voltage and stored in battery that then gets converted to AC and goes to Tesla which then converts to store in it's batteries DC voltage...while panels are laying flat.

[@ThomasReedy-j6u]

You just tested how many miles can be added to your truck using a 17amp source. That is limited by the strength of your solar inverter - not necessarily the solar panels. It would be much more instructive just to show the math rather than putting together a random setup.

[@zachlafond2652]

MY model 3 charges at 8 kw max (32amp) so i expect it to be a lot. Something like 30 300w panels (probably more due to losses).

[@rolandrohde]

It depends. If you want to charge a quickly as possible, then yes. However, that's not really necessary. I have a Model 3 SR+ and can charge at 11kW from the Grid (I live in Germany). My Solar has a maximum of about 8kW and I wrote a little script that puts solar excess energy into my Tesla battery. This can scale from 0-16 Amps and while the efficiency at low amps isn't great because the Tesla consumes about 250W while "active" as a base load, my system (created via Home Assistant) adjusts to different available solar excess pretty quickly and smoothly. It usually scales between 1KW and 5KW

[@gregdoyle829]

18 miles of range, wow very impressive.

[@Maui-Love-808]

Would be so much better if you could just hook panels up direct, without the redundant battery etc....(the car already is a giant battery!) whatever power comes in, that's what the car gets.

[@PeterSedesse]

The easier math is this. On an average day, you can charge about 30 miles of charge per1000 watts of panels in good weather for a regular ev (not the cybertrash). But that is well placed panels that are going from sunrise to sunset. You didn't really start yours until 11am? I mean I looked at :15 and you were setting your panels out in the shade and it was clearly daylight already. 30miles per 1000 watts per day.

[@MrGanbat84]

Add BYD cars in the calculator