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comment by OftenBen
OftenBen  ·  3211 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Harnessing the sun with the blackest paint in the world

How long is the range extended on something like a Tesla if you put a solar cell on the roof? If you live some place that gets a lot of sun? Hmmmmmmm.





user-inactivated  ·  3211 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I read on a forum somewhere where some engineer did the math. Basically it boils down to that the energy gained from solar panels is negligible to the extra weight for consumer based cars. Of course, I'm sure people are working on fixing that.

OftenBen  ·  3210 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Over the whole lifetime of the device? At current efficiencies I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be some kind of appreciable net positive.

user-inactivated  ·  3210 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Nah. At best right now they can use it to power accessories, such as the radio, AC, etc. Even though Ford is working on a concept, it's not really feasible with current technology.