Photo: Falk Melzer via Instagram
We’ve come accustomed to the plethora of Cybertruck-inspired accessories, but it’s pretty rare to see one that Tesla actually built. This solar trailer is on display at IdeenExpo in Hannover, Germany, and comes with retractable solar panels and an integrated Starlink antenna.
Many people wonder why electric vehicles don’t come covered in solar panels to charge the battery while sitting in the sun. The reason is simple: there is not much energy that the limited surface panels could harvest to make a difference. This limits their usefulness, although Toyota used the idea on Prius to power ventilation while the car was parked, cooling the interior without draining the battery.
Tesla is no stranger to solar panels, especially as the company sells the famous solar roofs. Elon Musk even twitted back in 2019 about using solar panels on the tonneau cover of the Cybertruck. It seems this idea was not lost and might turn into something useful after all.
“Will be an option to add solar power that generates 15 miles per day, possibly more,” wrote Musk on Twitter. “Would love this to be self-powered. Adding fold-out solar wings would generate 30 to 40 miles per day. Avg miles per day in US is 30.”
Tesla’s solar trailer was shown off at IdeenExpo alongside other exciting projects, including the Model Y body-in-white with a structural battery pack exposing the 4680 cells inside. The solar trailer can work as a range extender for an electric vehicle. According to Tesla enthusiast Falk Melzer, who took the pictures in the gallery, the trailer does not feature battery storage.
Our colleagues from Drive Tesla found out that the trailer rocks nine solar panels with 300 W each for a total of 2.7 kW when unfolded. This goes down to 900 W when the side panels are folded in. Falk confirmed with Tesla employees that the trailer does not feature battery storage.
This is, of course, a prototype and most likely would not make it into production soon. But it could prove a very nice accessory for an EV owner going on an adventure trip into the wild with fewer opportunities to charge. It would not add much to the range – keep in mind that 2.7 kW is a theoretical value. But it could power all sorts of appliances without worrying about depleting the car’s battery.
Tesla is no stranger to solar panels, especially as the company sells the famous solar roofs. Elon Musk even twitted back in 2019 about using solar panels on the tonneau cover of the Cybertruck. It seems this idea was not lost and might turn into something useful after all.
“Will be an option to add solar power that generates 15 miles per day, possibly more,” wrote Musk on Twitter. “Would love this to be self-powered. Adding fold-out solar wings would generate 30 to 40 miles per day. Avg miles per day in US is 30.”
Tesla’s solar trailer was shown off at IdeenExpo alongside other exciting projects, including the Model Y body-in-white with a structural battery pack exposing the 4680 cells inside. The solar trailer can work as a range extender for an electric vehicle. According to Tesla enthusiast Falk Melzer, who took the pictures in the gallery, the trailer does not feature battery storage.
Our colleagues from Drive Tesla found out that the trailer rocks nine solar panels with 300 W each for a total of 2.7 kW when unfolded. This goes down to 900 W when the side panels are folded in. Falk confirmed with Tesla employees that the trailer does not feature battery storage.
This is, of course, a prototype and most likely would not make it into production soon. But it could prove a very nice accessory for an EV owner going on an adventure trip into the wild with fewer opportunities to charge. It would not add much to the range – keep in mind that 2.7 kW is a theoretical value. But it could power all sorts of appliances without worrying about depleting the car’s battery.
Tesla is at the "IdeenExpo" in Hannover.
— Tesla_Adri (@tesla_adri) July 4, 2022
They brought a solar range extender trailer with Starlink.
And a Model Y with the 4680 structural battery pack.
Next to the Tesla stand is the VW stand. There are apparently more VW employees at the Tesla stand than Tesla employees. pic.twitter.com/8IHxLI5ukW
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