Source: Super teacher of the Department of Automotive
Driving in summer, the scorching sun makes you can't open your eyes, you buy a sunglasses only to find out that the reason for your sweat is not from the scorching sun in front, but the roof that does not shade the light, so you put the film and buy a sunshade, I can't wait to seal the roof directly, but have you ever thought that the sun is every day, if the roof is covered with solar panels, it can not only protect from the sun, but also can be recharged stably every day, isn't this a double win, why can't the engineers of car companies think of it?
First of all, there is the power and cost of the solar panels. Ideally, a 1 square solar panel would have about 180W of power. However, considering factors such as conversion efficiency and light intensity, the actual amount of electrical energy that can be obtained is much lower than the theoretical value. For the whole vehicle covered with solar panels, although the surface area is increased, due to the irregularity of the shape of the car, the light on the surface of the solar panels will be uneven, affecting the power generation efficiency. In addition, the use of flexible components to wrap the body also increases manufacturing costs. Given the current state of the art, it is difficult for automakers to recoup such an investment in a short period of time.
Second, for traditional fuel vehicles, solar panels do not directly participate in power transmission, but need to be equipped with a new power system to convert solar energy into kinetic energy. This adds additional cost and complexity. While there have been some attempts, such as BYD's F3DM and Toyota's Prius, the solar panels of these models produce negligible electricity and are almost negligible compared to the actual power demand. Moreover, the addition of such features will also increase the price of the vehicle, which is not conducive to market competition.
Moreover, due to safety considerations, the solar panels on the roof of the car may be damaged or cracked in the event of a traffic accident or collision, increasing the safety hazard. Not only does this pose a risk of injury to vehicle occupants, but it can also lead to safety issues such as circuit failures or fires.
And the reliability and durability of the solar panels is also a key factor. Cars often need to drive in different environmental conditions, including high temperatures, low temperatures, humidity, etc., which pose challenges to the performance and longevity of solar panels. If solar panels do not work reliably in a variety of environmental conditions, their reliability and durability will be affected, which in turn will affect the overall reliability and service life of the vehicle.
Overall, while mounting solar panels on the roof of a car theoretically has certain attractions and potential advantages, in practice there are many challenges and limitations. Under the current state of technology and market demand, automakers are more inclined to invest resources in other technologies and functions that are more practical and cost-effective to improve the competitiveness and market performance of their vehicles.
(Text/Haochen The picture in the article comes from the Internet, if there is any infringement, please contact to delete)