[Nexusios1521]

Humble Motors, a California-based startup founded in 2020, has announced an idea to introduce an electric SUV, powered by sunlight - "the world's first solar-powered SUVs".

The company has released several images of a four-door, five-seat crossover/SUV named Humble One, which is expected to have a range of 500 miles (800 km). The press release says it will comfortably fit four people.

Replacing the glass roof with photovoltaic cells is not the only thing that is supposed to make the Humble One efficient. The others are lightweight and an aerodynamic shape.

According to the website, the company accepts a fully refundable and non-binding reservation of $300 USD to secure a place in line. Production is expected to start in 2024, while customer deliveries might start in 2025.

Source: https://insideevs.com/news/497141/hu...uv-solar-roof/

[TrackDay]

Source : https://www.humblemotors.com/#

In an era of no grills for EVs, surprised to see that monster of a grill in the front. I feel this Solar Roof is only for marketing and doesn't serve any real world use. Solar Panels on EV were a question asked from the very beginning and tests found them not that useful. Even read a few articles on why, with the current tech, these don't really boost range.

https://www.solyndra.com/why-dont-el...any%20vehicles.

https://qz.com/1482588/why-teslas-do...e-solar-roofs/

[V.Narayan]

Cars with a solar panel roof that provides some of the re-charging will, IMHO, be par for the course by 2040 - not so far away. Effectiveness of solar panels has improved in leaps and bounds over the last 20 years and I hope the trend line continues for another 30 years. What could be better than to draw all our energy direct from the primary source. With today's technology the effectiveness of this concept is limited but so was Karl Benz's first car! I expect, and hope that by 2060, most cars run primarily on the energy from their own solar panels with plug in to the mains as a stand by mode only. Onwards and upwards.

[Nissan1180]

Considering the physical limit of single junction cell efficiency is 29% (Shockley–Queisser limit), a car with a roof area of 8 sqm (4m length x 2m width) will generate about 7-10 units of electricity a day with an average of 5.5 hours of sunlight in a sunny state like Gujarat (https://solarrooftop.gov.in/rooftop_calculator). If multi-junction cells become a reality, the generation might go up to 10-14 units.

A nexon EV requires 30 units for a full charge.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I expect, and hope that by 2060, most cars run primarily on the energy from their own solar panels with plug in to the mains as a stand by mode only. Onwards and upwards.

Is solar radiation enough for that even with 100% efficient solar panel?

There is this solar car challenge run by universities, as always they are made of bicycle parts and seats one thin person, hardly what we associate with a car.