Solar Power Tesla Cybertruck Could Have Free 15-40 Mile Daily Commutes

Telsa will add solar power to the Cybertruck to generate 15 miles per day. Fold-out solar wings for the Cybertruck would generate 30 to 40 miles per day. The average daily commute in the US averages 30 miles per day.

33 thoughts on “Solar Power Tesla Cybertruck Could Have Free 15-40 Mile Daily Commutes”

  1. Makes no sense is a bit harsh.

    Is not economically viable for the average user, sure. But neither are 3/4 of the optional extras offered in cars these days.

    If I had a full choice of paying for all options or not, I’d take air conditioning. Maybe a base level radio/mp3 player. Cruise control.
    That’s it.

  2. No truth.
    Re: corn ethanol using more energy to make than the end product. That myth was busted a long time agohttp://large.stanford.edu/courses/2014/ph240/dikeou1/docs/ethanolnetenergy.pdf
    And yields are way better now and energy efficiency better than the 1995 data in the above link – https://growthenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/High-Tech-Delivers-High-Yields-Chart-768×542.jpg
    And imported ethanol would be from sugar cane which is an even more efficient multiplier of energy inputs. It is not an ecological disaster that I’m aware of.
    You are assuming farm used diesel will never be replaced by electrification.
    And carbon capture at fertilizer plants is relatively easy to do.
    And finally your whole silly supposition is that 10 million gallons of fossil fuel for generators (all of $40 million worth whoop dee doo) would be banned in California. Even a $100 per tonne carbo tax is only a 90 cent per gallon increase.
    No truth, just bashing.

  3. How would there still be ethanol in that scenario? Ethanol isn’t a source of energy, once you account for the energy used in raising the plant matter and all the processing, it’s just laundered fossil fuel. No fossil fuel, no ethanol.

    I suppose California could just pretend otherwise, and people could run cars in California off imported laundered fossil fuels at horrific cost.

    And you’re imagining that the watermelons are going to stop making further demands at some point, and actually permit fossil fuel backup generators? The same watermelons who are demanding that natural gas stoves be outlawed?

  4. Maybe with foldout wings. The Tesla website says 6.5 feet long vault and it looks narrower than that. Of course fold out wings would change that calculation, but they would have to be pretty big to get to 30 to 40 miles. My best guess is 18 miles or so.
    Oh and for the record: I like Tesla and I think the Cybertruck is cool overall.
    But the solar panel thing makes no sense.

  5. Or you could settle in at some nice creek for a few days, catch and can a good supply of fish, then go 200 miles the next day.

  6. Did you read the article? The solar panels on the body would only be good for ~15 miles. 30-40 is a conjecture about what you’s get if you fold out some extra solar “wings”

  7. No truth, just bashing. There would still be ethanol in that scenario. And it wouldn’t happen anyways; California would allow fossil fuel generators for a few days of a month long fire/blackout season (less than 1% of the year for 5% of the customers).

  8. Me
    It costs me 3 cents a mile when I charge my model 3 .
    The tesla truck will be much cheaper to operate than a comparable ICE truck. It may never take over, but anyone who can will go electric. The improvement in the driving experience is that good.

  9. Exactly and further since solar already produces electricity at a lower cost than fossil fuels in most parts of the world, its a great add on.

  10. The truth hurts, does it?

    Honestly, I kind of like the “cyber truck”, and if I were in the market for a new, large pickup, I’d be seriously considering it. Non-rusting, and cyberpunk styling, I like that. I’ll have to check the used car market in a few years, if it makes it to market.

    I especially like that camper version they were showing off.

    Doesn’t change the fact that California has rolling blackouts, and is starting to outlaw fossil fuels in places like Berkeley. I keep track of things in the People’s Republic of California, my brother lives in Ventura and regularly unloads over the phone.

  11. Why not. Especially if it can be done at a relatively cheap price point. I would likely use that extra power to precondition the cabin, heating it up in the winter or cooling it down in the summer, without taking a hit to the main battery mileage.

  12. Wondering if Elon designed the cybertruck with the idea that people won’t be in many of them? It looks like the ultimate self-driving delivery vehicle meant for bringing packages to the front door.

  13. It may be “little” in cost, but is it economic in a real world situation? Cost is relative and ICE is getting better all the time. Some day EV will take over, just don’t piss on my leg and tell me its raining. Musk is usually singing in the rain when it comes to his announcements.

  14. Feedback request to all you experts (thanks in advance) :

    How about for _all_ Tesla vehicles: photovoltaic glass roof and rear. Adjust charge to control tinting. Interior experience same as now but maybe 8% energy capture across entire shaded roof and rear windows while driving and 15% (max shade) while parked. 8 years from now scaled tri-layer doping will double those %’s. (Also, 600 kwh/kg + 1/5 total energy storage {60% of city use} from supercapacitors by then). Moreover, do for side body paint what solar tiles will do for roofing. In addition, sure, cybertruck read bed cover can also be 100% solar focus without transmission or paint-like aesthetic constraints.

  15. I’m guessing each “slat” of the rolling tonneau will have it’s own solar cap.
    And, parked in the hot sun will have just enough power to keep the interior of the cab cool.
    I did see mention of possible fold out wings, but really how smart is that in a world that is becoming increasingly antagonistic of nearly anyone else for tiny differences of opinion. To the point acquaintances of “dispicables” are hateable.

  16. How do you open the trunk? Or is the truck for storage of foldout solar wings? Is this thing a truck or a spacex satellite? I almost expect an ion propulsion system In place of tail pipes…

  17. explains the mystery of the flat root… solar panels option…. elon might have a point… Solar powered cars for the masses… still too expensive to replace Toyota Camry…

  18. So, he’s aiming to be the only game in town in California once they’ve outlawed fossil fuels entirely, and the rolling blackouts make charging your car off the grid too unreliable?

  19. Unlike on a house, the truck already has the battery and the hardware for charging it (needed for regenerative breaking). That means this adds just the cost of the solar panel … which has become a lot cheaper than it used to be, and which is integrated with a roof that needs to be there anyway using technology that one of Musk’s other companies is already developing anyway. That means that this might be done for very little additional cost.

  20. Even if solar just provides a trickle charge that kept the battery from draining over time it would be a win, so long as the weight and cost are low enough to make little difference. If it can also give a few extra miles per day that’s a nice extra.

  21. It also means for those electricity free dystopian times you could cover about the same distance as you could walk each day but with 50x the gear capacity. I like the idea of being able to move with a few tons coast to coast in less than a year without any additional power sources.

  22. Snow, rain, clouds, trees, bird poo, dust, mud, dusk. Ideal conditions for this “free” commute. Paying for solar panels is prepaying the energy bill. It doesn’t work on a house in most cases, will it work on a truck? More Musk Bravo Sierra. Hopefully these panels get the bullet-proof glass….oh, wait.

  23. Let’s do some math here:
    By my calculations you have about 5 m2 (at most) of solar panels on this. This would be about 2.5 kWh of power (at most) a day. Would that be enough to get the car 30 to 40 miles? I am not so sure…

Comments are closed.