The heat and light generated by the daily activities of the sun can shine on us every day. For decades, solar panel technology has also been converting light energy into electric energy. So why isn’t every electric car on the road equipped with solar panels? Why do more and more people use solar panels to collect light energy and convert it into electricity, instead of using the power grid? Is it cost? Maybe, but the more reason is sustainable development.
The fundamental reason why solar panels are not used in every electric vehicle is that the vehicle does not have enough space to lay solar panels. Without in-depth understanding of the technical details, there is not enough space to install a large enough solar panel power generation system (usually called “array”) on the top of the car to meet the battery charging requirements. If any, every electric vehicle manufacturer on the planet may install an array (or provide it as an option) on each sold vehicle.
In the past, solar panels were first installed on the roof surface of cars, but when the car is parked in a hot place, solar energy can only do some things, such as running the air conditioner or cooling fan, and it will not charge the battery (after all, it is a hybrid vehicle). Now it will. What has changed? Previously, solar panel arrays could not generate enough power (voltage) to match the battery voltage.
Can I fully charge my car when I go home after parking in the sun all day? This depends on the power of the solar panel and the capacity of the car battery. If the power of the solar panel is large enough, it is no problem to be full. If you are close to home, you will have no problem. This is a free power supply without paying, which is very attractive to many consumers, so it is also true for car manufacturers. However, at present, the electricity generated by a small panel… is very small, and it is more likely to be realized in hybrid electric vehicles, which are affected by too many uncertain factors.
In short, the efficiency of solar panels will continue to improve and the cost will continue to decline. The battery technology will continue to improve, and eventually reach the same charging time as using liquid fuel to refuel – or possibly faster. To be sure, we live in the early stage of the electric vehicle revolution, just like the early stage of the internal-combustion engine vehicle, technology, infrastructure and cost are constantly improved through innovation, improvement and new ideas.
If you want to know more about solar panels, please contact us, the solar panel manufacturer – Huanqi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.