Source丨Forefront Of Science and Technology Intelligence Station
According to foreign media reports, a startup called EV Solar Kits is developing a photovoltaic upgrade package for Tesla vehicles. The upgrade package is said to cost about $5,000 and will allow the car to travel about 100 kilometers more per day after installation.
The company's founder, a former cadillac engineer, said the kits could be mounted on the roofs of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y cars and wouldn't violate Tesla's warranty policies. According to its description, the company has conducted beta tests in Texas.
At the same time, the company is also working on a retractable folding solar panel that can be integrated in the trunk when not in use, and can be installed more flexibly on any electric vehicle.
According to the founder of this company, the project has attracted the interest of thousands of people, and the intention to order with him has been expressed by mail, and may launch crowdfunding in the near future. So, is the idea of charging an electric car through solar panels reliable?
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Elon Musk has also publicly expressed interest in car solar panels. Back in 2016, he said Tesla "might" offer a solar roof option for the Model 3, adding that the upgrade wouldn't be "super expensive" and even consider a "scalable" solar system that sounds similar to the EV Solar Kits' scalable panels.
Although the service was not launched later, Musk promised to offer a solar option on its electric pickup, the Cyberterruck. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the USPTO published a Tesla patent showing a design for retractable solar panels on a vehicle.
Musk may later dismiss the idea, though, saying cybertruck's solar panels may not be able to provide enough power for everyday use unless they drive regularly.
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