Directly solar-powered vehicle travel has so far been limited to experimental highly-optimized vehicles designed by college teams to race thousands of miles across sunny, open regions. These feats are undeniably impressive, but they remain impractical for daily commuting.
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sunflare Solar showcased its flexible CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) solar modules applied to a Tesla Cybertruck. The vehicle was also equipped with a battery system capable of delivering up to 5 kW of power, though no details about the battery’s energy storage capacity were provided.
According to Cybertruck Owners Club forum member “Stumby,” who took great images of the unit and spoke with a representative at the CES booth, the fully installed system, including the battery, costs $10,000.
Electrek reported that Sunflare Solar claims to have wrapped the vehicle with 1.5 kW of its solar cells.
While Sunflare has not shared media from CES on its mostly inactive social channels, videos of the Cybertruck have been circulating widely. The company displayed a vertical advertisement for its “flexible solar car film,” highlighting the thin-film CIGS solar cells used in the project. Sunflare’s name is visible on the back of the displayed modules.
Sunflare offers several vehicle-focused solar products on its website, including the Flex+/Flex series, which features 17%-efficient CIGS solar panels. The company’s Flex 180-Watt Module is available online for approximately $750.
When discussing solar modules on vehicles, the conversation often shifts to their practical usability. Solar modules perform best when directly facing the sun, but most car surfaces are not sun facing. Moreover, the surface area available on a car is small relative to the energy required to power it. Even in optimal conditions, the electricity generated is limited. Estimates suggest that under ideal circumstances, solar panels on a vehicle could provide a maximum range of about 15 miles per day.
In this specific Cybertruck solar design, one obvious limitation is evident: the largest, flat, potentially sunward-facing surface lacks solar modules, as shown in a video by Electric Revolution.
Several recent efforts to manufacture and market solar-powered cars have struggled to gain traction. For example, Lightyear One, which raised over $110 million and planned to launch in 2020, filed for bankruptcy.
Aptera, reminiscent of the exceptionally sleek and efficient solar cars designed by college teams for record-setting races, has also raised considerable funding and released a prodigious number of press statements but has yet to launch. The company claims its flagship vehicle, the Launch Edition, will offer up to 400 miles per charge and up to 40 miles per day from integrated solar panels.
Despite these challenges, development continues. Toyota and other manufacturers are working on higher efficiency solar cells specifically designed for vehicles. Meanwhile, various solar vehicle platforms are being tested in real-world conditions. In Europe, Scania has outfitted semi-trailers with Midsummer CIGS solar cells, which are installed across the large, flat surfaces of the trailers. While these solar-equipped trailers are connected to significantly larger and heavier vehicles, research from Scania and Midsummer suggests the rigs may gain 3,000 to 6,000 ‘free’ kilometers per year from the solar panels.
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