Michael Ross via EV wrote:
Boy, would I like this to work. I must say that, on vehicle solar charging seems to me a marketing strategy, not a useful design feature.
I agree. Their numbers sound like best-case marketing claims, rather than typical-use cases.
...1000 watts per square meter ...maybe 6 hours of peak sun ...collector efficiency might be 20%
So 20% of 1000 watts x 6 hours is 1200 watt-hours per day (at best)
...at 10kWh per 10 miles
I think you meant 1 KWH per 10 miles (10 miles per watt-hour). That is about triple the efficiency of a typical EV. If that's the case, then 1200 watt-hours will go 12 miles. So I think you're right; 10-12 miles per day on sunlight alone.
They are claiming: *1,000 miles on a single charge *(I love this!)
At 10 miles/KWH, that would require a 100 KWH pack; as big (and heavy) as a Tesla's! That sound like a pretty extreme marketing exaggeration.
*40 miles of solar powered driving per day *
The only way this is possible is if they seriously improved their 100 WH/mile efficiency. But that might be possible. The Solectria Sunrise got it down to 60 WH/mile in racing form, and the solar Raycers are as low as 10 WH/mile (by being almost bicycles with solar panels).
There is going to be thousands of $ in that solar apparatus. I would call that needless complication for marketing purposes.
It's a tough call. Commodity PV panels are much cheaper, but less efficient. As with any PV installation, one has to consider the value of the lifetime power generated to the initial cost. The economics might work out in the long run, if the cost of local grid power is high.
But there are the practicalities. Are you really going to leave an expensive Aptera sitting outside every day? Vandalism may be an issue.
Give me anything else, softer seats, a good stereo, good air flow perhaps from fans, and let me plug it in the wall to get charged.
My guess would be that the average consumer values comfort and convenience more than bleeding-edge technology. But there will always be at least a few pioneers; so Aptera may find a small market. After all the Swiss Twike did.
It is interesting to note in all this discussion of charging that Aptera, long before the OEMs decided to go with the Tesla plug, actually submitted a petition for adoption of the Tesla plug nationwide. Of course, most people thought that was a stupid idea and figured it would never happen. However, Aptera did decide to use the plug for their vehicles when they come to production.
It may be that the other automakers had dreams of setting up their *own* charging monopoly. Aptera didn't have the resources to set up their own network; so they used Tesla's.
In an effort to increase the range of EVs most companies adopted the plan of just installing a bigger battery pack which increased weight and most likely decreased overall efficiency. The result is naturally longer charging times and efforts to increase the capacity of the charging units themselves.
Yes; the automakers have always had a "more is better" philosophy. 1-ton cars become 2-ton EVs. As you say, doubling the weight will roughly double everything else; twice the materials, twice cost, twice the energy usage. A small light efficient EV could be dramatically cheaper, more efficient, and have a much better impact on global warming.
...average driving per day is 40-50 miles ...can simply plug in at home at night ...so why would most people even need to stop and fast charge
Exactly. But most people don't buy cars based on their actual daily *needs*; they buy based on their emotional *wants*. They want what everybody else has. They *want* to be able to drive 500 miles non-stop, to carry 6 people and a ton of lumber, drive off-road, etc. So they all buy big SUVs and pickup trucks to haul one person to the store or work 50 miles a day.
There are of course people who do need to driver longer distances and carry more; but not enough to account for half the vehicles on the road being SUVs and trucks.
I wish Aptera all the best, and hope they can find enough of a market to survive. But I really wish there were more offerings in between the automaker's monster-tank EVs and petite hyper-car EVs.
Lee -- Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems. -- Scott Adams -- Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/
