There has been quite a bit of discussion centering on a possible optional solar panel on the roof (?) of the Volt. Without knowing any details on the panel, we can make a reasonable guess that it would be capable of putting out 100-200W under direct, full sun. This is clearly not enough to provide a meaningful charge against a possible 40-mile all-electric range, but it could be enough to provide other services - as yet unknown.
How much would you be willing to pay for the solar panel option? You may select only one choice.
There's a guy on the Volt facebook page who has added 2x100W panels to his Volt. One on the roof and one on the hood. When parked, he has it set to power a 12V a/c unit he installed in the back of the car to help keep it cool (he lives in FL). When driving, he has it feed into the 12V system and claims it can extend his range a bit... he claims 2-3 miles, which is pretty optimistic if you look at the numbers. He spent about $2k doing the mod. Impressive work, but not very practical overall.
Scrolling down the page, one of the things that will earn some relief on CAFE is "Battery charging with a 75-watt solar panel". With this in mind, it looks like we will be seeing more "roof-top solar" on cars coming soon.
It is interesting that the Gen 2 Volt already incorporates several of the technologies in the list. (E.g., LED lighting, active aerodynamics, etc.)
Looks like some research is being conducted into making the car's protective coating (paint?) capable of generating electricity. If this pans out solar paint may be a more viable option.
"The German solar company Heliatek has this idea that one day, cars will be covered in solar coatings that will enable you to charge up while scooting down the highway or parked in a sunny spot. That’s the big picture. For now, Heliatek is focusing on replacing your sun roof with an organic solar cell window treatment, and the company has just announced a major step forward in the efficiency of its organic solar cells."
I had the solar roof on my Prius. It provided ventilation to the car - I lived in Florida at the time. It was something to talk about, but unless they improved on the power allowing it to charge the car, I don't think it would be very necessary.
A solar panel the size of the Volt roof would not provide a significant power contribution. At best, an efficient solar panel system may be able to provide a few miles of all-electric range, possibly $0.10 per day. Pay-off would take a lot of days in the sun. Two weeks for a dollar. Twenty weeks for ten. Fifty weeks for twenty-five. A hundred years for $2,500 in solar panels.
I think we should take into account some advantages of trickle charging, pulling the surface voltage up on the traction battery would help maintain the long term battery condition. Trickle charging is more efficient than fast charging. The slower you put it in, the better the yield.
The amount of charge might be infinitesimal, yet still play a role, especially in the long run.
....some advantages of trickle charging, pulling the surface voltage up on the traction battery would help maintain the long term battery condition. .....
flare,
Did you know:
>Li-Ion batteries do not 'self-discharge' like most other battery chemistries?
>They still have a 'shelf-life' if you use them or not.
>The 'shelf-life' can be extended IF the battery is stored at less than 50% SOC, especially in hot weather.
A dinky 60 watt panel would barely power a small Thermal Management System for the pack. (This would be a good use for a solar panel)
Now if I could just get one that had 1/4 the power for 1/4 the price, I could put that in the back of my Volt and give my batteries a boost while I parked at work all day every day.
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