Hey Robert I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. I love you're show. Why no episodes lately? Thought you said there was lots to come in the next few weeks. I'm seeing lots of news on my gadget sites about electric delorians and new electric motorcycles (which you should also review btw) but not a peep from you. What's happening. P.S. ((gush gush)) your awesome :)
I was considering getting a Renault Zoe when they come out here in Ireland next year, but i don't have a garage, just off road parking...would that be a problem with the charger?
Electric Cars give you CHOICE of Energy production, Gasoline is Gasoline and it only comes from stinky oil.
I have said it on his other video's, I will say it here: SWAP your battery when you want to drive long distances. Charge it (like you charge your cell phone) when you commute.
Oil companies will fight, fight, fight this because they make SO much money from us - what else but food do you purchase so often?
'Gasoline...only comes from stinky oil'' I take it you haven't heard of the Fischer Tropsch process. which essentially means you can make it from sea water.
@marmaladekamikaze I'm betting, if it even works, it will not see the light of day. It does not take a chemist nor a rocket scientist to know that threatening the profits of oil companies is the very reason we do not all have electric vehicles.
I mean, if you were the wealthiest corporation in the history of the planet and JOB ONE was to protect the profits of your shareholders (Watch "The Corporation" here on YouTube), YOU would be also be ruthless!
Shell, Exxonmobil etc. all fund the development of the Fischer Tropsch process bro. They are evil for sure, but I wouldn't be so paranoid about these things. The Energy Return on investment EROI is negative for the fischer Tropsch process/ it doesn't break the 2nd law of thermodynamics or anything.
How many barrels og oil does it take to build an electric car, solar, and all the infrastructure to get these to your house. The fundamental problem is fossil fuels are needed to make all this happen. It's not going to happen.
@DHFrame Interesting comment. Yes, some fossil fuel is used in the construction of the car, the plastics, a tiny amount of lubricating oil etc. An even smaller amount is used to construct the solar panels, the wiring is plastic covered etc. I would say however that the oil used in the construction of the whole system is much better used than it is being burnt in an out of date machine like an internal combustion engine. Of course it's going to happen, it is happening now.
@carpoolUK When you put it like that all I can do is agree. And all I needed is a simple question answering. Another interesting take on this; because your not spending as much money over the life of the alternatives, you are making the oil industry smaller. Love your show by the way!
,... prices will fall as adoption hits the mainstream but the hysterical anti-greens are doing everything in their power to stop them hitting the mainstream - and that's an ideological argument, not a financial one.
@albedo0point39 that is, of course, true but electric cars are an emerging technology. Of course the early adopters will pay a premium,... but that's not what the Right Wing hate about electric cars
This is not a matter of opinion. It's just arithmetic fact.
Thus, either we sort out an alternative before it all runs out, so that we can carry on with our modern lifestyles once it's all gone...
..or we can pretend like there's no problem, and smash into a brick wall of catastrophic social and economic collapse at a million miles an hour, having nothing else to fall back onto.
True, fossil fuels will run out, though it will take quite a long time before that happens, plus it won't happen overnight. Still, no reason to wait until it runs out, might as well get it on with already. :)
As for what Robert said in the video, yes indeed .. solar panels in the desert can power the earth. But underground Geothermal powerplants in Siberia could too. The problem is in costs and scale ... noone wants to pay for the solution as long as fossil fuels are so cheap !
As fossil fuels run out, we'll see an exponential rise in their price. They'll get more and more expensive, at a faster and faster rate.
Oil will become unaffordable long before it runs out - and when we're told "there's 40 years left of oil", they're talking to complete depletion and extinction. To "the last drop".
Not to inaffordability and infrastructural breakdown, which will happen much sooner and is the real deadline to worry about.
If we wait until it starts hurting before doing anything, then will we be able to afford it?
Because, don't forget, until we have alternative infrastructure in place, we've no choice but to use the current fossil fuel infrastructure.
If we wait for oil to become prohibitively expensive before getting our solar - or geothermal or whatever else - infrastructure in place, then will we even be able to afford the manufacturing and transport costs of building fossil fuels' replacements?
Oh we will be able to afford it, we will bloody well have to. Don't underestimate the effort a desperate people can put up. But yes, it's going to be incredibly expensive and hard work, if we wait too long. Hopefully wisdom will prevail on this matter.
That is indeed the main issue we are facing .. how long do we wait ?
As it stands, I think 40 years of oil is a bit pessimistic from what I have recently learned, since we also have rather large resovoirs of Coal, which can also be converted into petrol/diesel. Also as we near the end of cheap fuel, we will also experience some rather nasty wars, where the bigger nations will try and hog the fuel.. ie. USA, Russia, China and probably India too, will go on a rampage, to get fuel.
@Jesus45U Converting coal into oil would just be a further demonstration of our stupid dependency desperation. It would cost us even more energy, in order to get back even less.
"You cannot ever win" - the second law of thermodynamics (paraphrased).
But, yes, when I speak of the unacceptable social and economic costs of doing nothing, you can certainly factor in international warfare, as nations scramble for what's remaining - as what's remaining only continues to get less and less and less.
Aha .. but .. converting Coal into fuel is *cheaper* than the alternatives. And in a world that is predominantly ruled by a capitalistic economy, cheap is good.
What we have to do right now, is research how to make alternatives, yes, and then cost analysis as to *when* it becomes profitable to change. Stuff like solar energy, geothermal, wave & wind power, and stuff like making hydrogen from algae and all that stuff will eventually become economical ... just not yet.
@albedo0point39 Chemical batteries, flywheels, thermal mass (tanks of molten salt), pumped storage (since storage can be anywhere in the grid), compressed gasses (air or hydrogen are popular), superconducting magnetic storage... OR maybe you don't even worry about it so much, because you need much more power during the day than you do at night so your desert-based systems kick in during the day and you cover the nighttime needs in a more traditional way.
Urban Green Energy New york City has a Sanya Light Pump(off grid vertical axis wind turbine, LED Street Lamp and GE fast charging changing station. Price 30K USD
Your shows continue to be informative and entertaining. There is so much in the pipeline and keeping up is a job in itself. What I would like for all viewers to always keep in mind is that life is fluid and these days things are changing quicker than we hear about them. No one way is going to be a universal fix for all. Allowing fluid and diverse ideas is a shift in thinking that is changing the world as we know it. Keep up the great work, I look forward to the next show.
"Do we actually have to own cars, or could we share them"
Of which the answer is, no; of course we don't HAVE to own individual cars, but instead we WANT to. We don't need big screen tellies or iPhones either. :)
I don't think Desertec is a good idea! Why do we need to transport energy from the desert with huge amount of loss when we could produce our own energy at home or in the neighbourhood? Desertec will only give big - and already rich - organisations even more money. In my opinion this is not the final solution. In Great Britain you are surrounded by water, so why not using wave energy, offshore wind, solar power... By doing that you support industry in your country and not elsewhere!
@TheFotoyeti Wave and wind energy is being created off the shores of England though I believe France has the biggest wind and wave farm currently of any country. There are lots of exciting things happening and no one solution is best, but I agree that some are far superior. Producing your own energy cuts out the middle man and that is something consumers like us will need to really get our head around and invest in so that no matter who makes money or how, we won't have to be dependent on them.
So it would've cost about £1000 to drive a similar distance in a petrol Ford Focus (which is a comparable size). So its £37.5 vs. £1000. And don't the conservative nay-sayers hate it.
@VideoTimChannel And a Ford Focus costs £13k less than the leaf, so at 7000 miles to £1K of petrol, you get 91000 miles of 'free' petrol motoring before you've spent as much as the Leaf cost.
I'm a fan of electric cars, but let's compare like with like.
hey Robert, great show, but I was wondering what your opinion was about japan's whaling program and how mitsubishi is buying massive amounts of bluefin tuna. I think that would be interesting, thanks.
now imagine when lithium batteries are priced much closer to cost which will be much cheaper than now such that battery cost is an insignificant purchase.
and solar panels are similarly cheaper. then we have no electricity bill and it's free to drive..
and done right, an EV wont need servicing.
but of course as long as society is based on businesses screwing us over it will never be done right..
@XitUp they wont necessarily have brakes in the traditional sense and even if they do they may never use them. the rest can be made to last. how often is steering replaced..
EV Rental is a nice idea only in densely populated areas and it has bad public transit coverage. Its also probably a cheaper replacement for taxis. I personally think PRT systems like the ones in Heathrow Airport is the transportation solution of the future.
They cost about 1/8th of that of a train to implement, about 1/5th per person transported. They are plug in cars, you dont have to own them and it drives itself.
@arunmur84 I have not heard of PRT but it sounds cool. The electric car idea implemented in Paris was probably due to the population density so that other cities like NYC, London, Rome etc could follow though their transportation systems in at least two of those cities are really good and make having a car in the city a hassle as well as an expense. We are all thinking about driving, energy and ownership differently now and so many different models will appear before we get to the best idea.
so who maintains the up keep of these cars in paris?
If they were in england some kid with an asbo would plough them in to a bunch of kids crossing the road and then get sent to a holiday camp hmp and get a free wiibox and flat screen tv.
@fleetwoodsucks May I ask where I may buy an anti-liberal phrasebook such as you got these jewels from? I've tried amazon, but they don't seem to have anything of the sort. I'd love to have something generic to post in the comments sections of all Bob's videos and blogs.
2) what do you think would happen to the current fossil fuel system when somethings like that eventually gets here? How many people would become unemployed?
I'm all for this giant solar plant, seen a few ideas float in and out of the news, but i can't help but think that something as big as this might quickly and suddenly damage our economy if its not done at the right tempo.
@ivarsrini Essentially it's not worth the money unless the car is never in the shade and always faces south. You wouldn't put solar panels on your roof if you can't guarantee they'll be working while the sun shines. Who would pay for a £1000+ option that doesn't necessarily extend the range when you need it?
@ivarsrini That is a good idea! The new Prius hybrid has a solar panel as an option to charge and offset the drain from the AC. I don't think it helps with the range or anything else but putting solar panels on car roofs of EV and other cars who are normally often parked outdoors and uncovered, would help use the solar energy that goes to waste heating up the interior. Maybe the next model will have that or it could be that they did not want to add to the already (is some minds) hefty cost.
Great show, very informative.
neohxc 4 days ago
P.s. to other people any chance of having reasonable adult discussions without the bad language and insulting each other!
tankboyben 4 months ago
Hey Robert I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. I love you're show. Why no episodes lately? Thought you said there was lots to come in the next few weeks. I'm seeing lots of news on my gadget sites about electric delorians and new electric motorcycles (which you should also review btw) but not a peep from you. What's happening. P.S. ((gush gush)) your awesome :)
tankboyben 4 months ago
anyone reckon the mia looks a bit like the trabant of electric cars
mattman919191 4 months ago
I was considering getting a Renault Zoe when they come out here in Ireland next year, but i don't have a garage, just off road parking...would that be a problem with the charger?
sugelanren 4 months ago
@sugelanren Shouldn't be, as long as you have a waterproof plug installed outside.
XitUp 4 months ago
Electric Cars give you CHOICE of Energy production, Gasoline is Gasoline and it only comes from stinky oil.
I have said it on his other video's, I will say it here: SWAP your battery when you want to drive long distances. Charge it (like you charge your cell phone) when you commute.
Oil companies will fight, fight, fight this because they make SO much money from us - what else but food do you purchase so often?
Fast Electric Car? Check out my PLAYLISTS!
CI9TK 4 months ago
@CI9TK
'Gasoline...only comes from stinky oil'' I take it you haven't heard of the Fischer Tropsch process. which essentially means you can make it from sea water.
marmaladekamikaze 4 months ago
@marmaladekamikaze I'm betting, if it even works, it will not see the light of day. It does not take a chemist nor a rocket scientist to know that threatening the profits of oil companies is the very reason we do not all have electric vehicles.
I mean, if you were the wealthiest corporation in the history of the planet and JOB ONE was to protect the profits of your shareholders (Watch "The Corporation" here on YouTube), YOU would be also be ruthless!
CI9TK 4 months ago
@CI9TK
Shell, Exxonmobil etc. all fund the development of the Fischer Tropsch process bro. They are evil for sure, but I wouldn't be so paranoid about these things. The Energy Return on investment EROI is negative for the fischer Tropsch process/ it doesn't break the 2nd law of thermodynamics or anything.
marmaladekamikaze 4 months ago
That mia would be good for the post office people to drive around in!
cartoonkeith1 4 months ago 7
How many barrels og oil does it take to build an electric car, solar, and all the infrastructure to get these to your house. The fundamental problem is fossil fuels are needed to make all this happen. It's not going to happen.
DHFrame 4 months ago
@DHFrame Interesting comment. Yes, some fossil fuel is used in the construction of the car, the plastics, a tiny amount of lubricating oil etc. An even smaller amount is used to construct the solar panels, the wiring is plastic covered etc. I would say however that the oil used in the construction of the whole system is much better used than it is being burnt in an out of date machine like an internal combustion engine. Of course it's going to happen, it is happening now.
carpoolUK 4 months ago 4
@carpoolUK When you put it like that all I can do is agree. And all I needed is a simple question answering. Another interesting take on this; because your not spending as much money over the life of the alternatives, you are making the oil industry smaller. Love your show by the way!
DHFrame 4 months ago
,... prices will fall as adoption hits the mainstream but the hysterical anti-greens are doing everything in their power to stop them hitting the mainstream - and that's an ideological argument, not a financial one.
VideoTimChannel 4 months ago
@albedo0point39 that is, of course, true but electric cars are an emerging technology. Of course the early adopters will pay a premium,... but that's not what the Right Wing hate about electric cars
VideoTimChannel 4 months ago
Never heard of them called Boris bikes. They're just 'those' bikes.
DSDMovies 4 months ago
Fossil fuels are going to run out.
This is not a matter of opinion. It's just arithmetic fact.
Thus, either we sort out an alternative before it all runs out, so that we can carry on with our modern lifestyles once it's all gone...
..or we can pretend like there's no problem, and smash into a brick wall of catastrophic social and economic collapse at a million miles an hour, having nothing else to fall back onto.
If we don't jump, nature will push.
KlaxonCow 4 months ago
Comment removed
KlaxonCow 4 months ago
@KlaxonCow
True, fossil fuels will run out, though it will take quite a long time before that happens, plus it won't happen overnight. Still, no reason to wait until it runs out, might as well get it on with already. :)
As for what Robert said in the video, yes indeed .. solar panels in the desert can power the earth. But underground Geothermal powerplants in Siberia could too. The problem is in costs and scale ... noone wants to pay for the solution as long as fossil fuels are so cheap !
Jesus45U 4 months ago
@Jesus45U Yes, but this is exactly the problem.
As fossil fuels run out, we'll see an exponential rise in their price. They'll get more and more expensive, at a faster and faster rate.
Oil will become unaffordable long before it runs out - and when we're told "there's 40 years left of oil", they're talking to complete depletion and extinction. To "the last drop".
Not to inaffordability and infrastructural breakdown, which will happen much sooner and is the real deadline to worry about.
KlaxonCow 4 months ago
If we wait until it starts hurting before doing anything, then will we be able to afford it?
Because, don't forget, until we have alternative infrastructure in place, we've no choice but to use the current fossil fuel infrastructure.
If we wait for oil to become prohibitively expensive before getting our solar - or geothermal or whatever else - infrastructure in place, then will we even be able to afford the manufacturing and transport costs of building fossil fuels' replacements?
KlaxonCow 4 months ago
@KlaxonCow
Oh we will be able to afford it, we will bloody well have to. Don't underestimate the effort a desperate people can put up. But yes, it's going to be incredibly expensive and hard work, if we wait too long. Hopefully wisdom will prevail on this matter.
Jesus45U 4 months ago
@KlaxonCow
That is indeed the main issue we are facing .. how long do we wait ?
As it stands, I think 40 years of oil is a bit pessimistic from what I have recently learned, since we also have rather large resovoirs of Coal, which can also be converted into petrol/diesel. Also as we near the end of cheap fuel, we will also experience some rather nasty wars, where the bigger nations will try and hog the fuel.. ie. USA, Russia, China and probably India too, will go on a rampage, to get fuel.
Jesus45U 4 months ago
@Jesus45U Converting coal into oil would just be a further demonstration of our stupid dependency desperation. It would cost us even more energy, in order to get back even less.
"You cannot ever win" - the second law of thermodynamics (paraphrased).
But, yes, when I speak of the unacceptable social and economic costs of doing nothing, you can certainly factor in international warfare, as nations scramble for what's remaining - as what's remaining only continues to get less and less and less.
KlaxonCow 4 months ago
@KlaxonCow
Aha .. but .. converting Coal into fuel is *cheaper* than the alternatives. And in a world that is predominantly ruled by a capitalistic economy, cheap is good.
What we have to do right now, is research how to make alternatives, yes, and then cost analysis as to *when* it becomes profitable to change. Stuff like solar energy, geothermal, wave & wind power, and stuff like making hydrogen from algae and all that stuff will eventually become economical ... just not yet.
Jesus45U 4 months ago
How are we going to store all this electricity from the desert for use at night?
albedo0point39 4 months ago
@albedo0point39 Chemical batteries, flywheels, thermal mass (tanks of molten salt), pumped storage (since storage can be anywhere in the grid), compressed gasses (air or hydrogen are popular), superconducting magnetic storage... OR maybe you don't even worry about it so much, because you need much more power during the day than you do at night so your desert-based systems kick in during the day and you cover the nighttime needs in a more traditional way.
Smidge204 4 months ago
ultraprt .com is also an option for citys! electric personal public transport
jcsaintpo 4 months ago
Urban Green Energy New york City has a Sanya Light Pump(off grid vertical axis wind turbine, LED Street Lamp and GE fast charging changing station. Price 30K USD
badskpr 4 months ago
i hope they keep coming this fast there really good cant wait for the next!
1997seanmac 4 months ago
Some of the companies install solar panels on South East facing roofs and South West facing roofs.
benjy545 4 months ago
Comment removed
benjy545 4 months ago
Excellent video as usual Robert! Thank you.
cloggsy1971 4 months ago
Your shows continue to be informative and entertaining. There is so much in the pipeline and keeping up is a job in itself. What I would like for all viewers to always keep in mind is that life is fluid and these days things are changing quicker than we hear about them. No one way is going to be a universal fix for all. Allowing fluid and diverse ideas is a shift in thinking that is changing the world as we know it. Keep up the great work, I look forward to the next show.
msyin9 4 months ago
Brilliant episode, thank you Mr L.
One comment you made regarding the Mia:
"Do we actually have to own cars, or could we share them"
Of which the answer is, no; of course we don't HAVE to own individual cars, but instead we WANT to. We don't need big screen tellies or iPhones either. :)
bored1980 4 months ago
I don't think Desertec is a good idea! Why do we need to transport energy from the desert with huge amount of loss when we could produce our own energy at home or in the neighbourhood? Desertec will only give big - and already rich - organisations even more money. In my opinion this is not the final solution. In Great Britain you are surrounded by water, so why not using wave energy, offshore wind, solar power... By doing that you support industry in your country and not elsewhere!
TheFotoyeti 4 months ago
@TheFotoyeti Wave and wind energy is being created off the shores of England though I believe France has the biggest wind and wave farm currently of any country. There are lots of exciting things happening and no one solution is best, but I agree that some are far superior. Producing your own energy cuts out the middle man and that is something consumers like us will need to really get our head around and invest in so that no matter who makes money or how, we won't have to be dependent on them.
msyin9 4 months ago
I don't have a south facing roof but I'm with you in spirit. I ride a bike.....always.
benjy545 4 months ago
robert, why not install a witricity wireless charger in your garage for your leaf? :)
awaken69 4 months ago
So it would've cost about £1000 to drive a similar distance in a petrol Ford Focus (which is a comparable size). So its £37.5 vs. £1000. And don't the conservative nay-sayers hate it.
VideoTimChannel 4 months ago
@VideoTimChannel And a Ford Focus costs £13k less than the leaf, so at 7000 miles to £1K of petrol, you get 91000 miles of 'free' petrol motoring before you've spent as much as the Leaf cost.
I'm a fan of electric cars, but let's compare like with like.
albedo0point39 4 months ago
Urrmm... Let's not skip over that!!
sqkmarshall 4 months ago
@sqkmarshall He skipped over it because I think you could easily fill two whole episodes with that rather tricky subject!
bored1980 4 months ago
great episode, thanks for your usual high quality show
maturerobuk 4 months ago
hey Robert, great show, but I was wondering what your opinion was about japan's whaling program and how mitsubishi is buying massive amounts of bluefin tuna. I think that would be interesting, thanks.
TBman256 4 months ago
@TBman256 What has that got to do with electric cars?
XitUp 4 months ago
@XitUp nothing directly, but he has another show called "wet liberal whenever" and I thought it would be a good topic
TBman256 4 months ago
good show
now imagine when lithium batteries are priced much closer to cost which will be much cheaper than now such that battery cost is an insignificant purchase.
and solar panels are similarly cheaper. then we have no electricity bill and it's free to drive..
and done right, an EV wont need servicing.
but of course as long as society is based on businesses screwing us over it will never be done right..
DanFrederiksen 4 months ago 2
@DanFrederiksen my home and leaf run on Solar, I even have 1288 kWh ahead this year. But I'm in super Sunny Arizona
jstack61 4 months ago
@DanFrederiksen They will need servicing. They still have brakes, steering, suspension etc like all other cars.
XitUp 4 months ago
@XitUp they wont necessarily have brakes in the traditional sense and even if they do they may never use them. the rest can be made to last. how often is steering replaced..
DanFrederiksen 4 months ago
@DanFrederiksen Why would they not have brakes? Do you realise how dangerous it would be to just rely on the power of regen braking from the motor.
The whole steering system is not replaced that often, but component parts can be.
XitUp 4 months ago
@XitUp I'd ask you why it would be dangerous to rely in regen if you had actually thought about it
DanFrederiksen 4 months ago
@DanFrederiksen Because it can't generate enough stopping power?
XitUp 4 months ago
@XitUp why didn't you stop to realize that it would of course be able to do that if designed without mechanical brakes
DanFrederiksen 4 months ago
@DanFrederiksen So it would be a bigger, more expensive motor? Can't see any downsides to that...
XitUp 4 months ago
@XitUp since you insist on being an idiot this will be my last reply.
the downside would be higher efficiency motor and 0-100km/h acceleration in 3 seconds.
as well as no mechanical brake cost, weight and maintenance.
DanFrederiksen 4 months ago
@DanFrederiksen No need to be cunt Dan. And trying to patronise people doesn't really work when you're wrong, sorry.
You stated that an EV won't need servicing. You are wrong, just admit it and stop acting like a child.
XitUp 4 months ago
EV Rental is a nice idea only in densely populated areas and it has bad public transit coverage. Its also probably a cheaper replacement for taxis. I personally think PRT systems like the ones in Heathrow Airport is the transportation solution of the future.
They cost about 1/8th of that of a train to implement, about 1/5th per person transported. They are plug in cars, you dont have to own them and it drives itself.
arunmur84 4 months ago
@arunmur84 I have not heard of PRT but it sounds cool. The electric car idea implemented in Paris was probably due to the population density so that other cities like NYC, London, Rome etc could follow though their transportation systems in at least two of those cities are really good and make having a car in the city a hassle as well as an expense. We are all thinking about driving, energy and ownership differently now and so many different models will appear before we get to the best idea.
msyin9 4 months ago
Apparently my roof is too small to get solar panels, we had the surveyor around a couple of weeks ago.
timelordcreation 4 months ago
Robert, do you know of any cars that use inductive chargers?
Boodieman72 4 months ago
@Boodieman72 It would be a very brave(/niche/luxury) manufacturer to try that. Enough people write off charging with cables when they hear about it.
ninjabob2456 4 months ago
so who maintains the up keep of these cars in paris?
If they were in england some kid with an asbo would plough them in to a bunch of kids crossing the road and then get sent to a holiday camp hmp and get a free wiibox and flat screen tv.
fleetwoodsucks 4 months ago
@fleetwoodsucks May I ask where I may buy an anti-liberal phrasebook such as you got these jewels from? I've tried amazon, but they don't seem to have anything of the sort. I'd love to have something generic to post in the comments sections of all Bob's videos and blogs.
ninjabob2456 4 months ago
2 things that come to mind.
1) what am i doing up at 01.14am.....
2) what do you think would happen to the current fossil fuel system when somethings like that eventually gets here? How many people would become unemployed?
I'm all for this giant solar plant, seen a few ideas float in and out of the news, but i can't help but think that something as big as this might quickly and suddenly damage our economy if its not done at the right tempo.
ABitePlayer 4 months ago
@ABitePlayer We would still need some fossil fuels, we'd just have to import a lot less.
XitUp 4 months ago
why doesn't Nissan put a solar panel on the roof to trickle charge the battery?
ivarsrini 4 months ago
@ivarsrini Essentially it's not worth the money unless the car is never in the shade and always faces south. You wouldn't put solar panels on your roof if you can't guarantee they'll be working while the sun shines. Who would pay for a £1000+ option that doesn't necessarily extend the range when you need it?
ninjabob2456 4 months ago
@ivarsrini That is a good idea! The new Prius hybrid has a solar panel as an option to charge and offset the drain from the AC. I don't think it helps with the range or anything else but putting solar panels on car roofs of EV and other cars who are normally often parked outdoors and uncovered, would help use the solar energy that goes to waste heating up the interior. Maybe the next model will have that or it could be that they did not want to add to the already (is some minds) hefty cost.
msyin9 4 months ago