A startup called EV Solar Kits is working on a package that will cost just $5,000 and add up to 60 miles of range per day.
Steele Wasik told Futurism that there are so many pain points for EV owners. There are so many variables when it comes to electric vehicles. It is kind of the Wild West right now. I wanted to see if I could solve the problem with an aftermarket product.
Wasik, whose father and grandfather were both design engineers for Cadillac, says the kits can be installed on the roof of the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, and that the company is also working on extendable trunk panels that will be compatible with any electric vehicle. He said that the upgrades wouldn't violate the warrantee.
It is worth noting that the company has yet to install one of its kits in a single customer. Wasik wouldn't give a photo or video of the product in action, but he did say that the tech has already been rolled out for drivers in the Austin area.
The financial position of the venture is open to interpretation. Wasik said that the project has generated a lot of interest among EV enthusiasts and that the company expects to launch a campaign soon.
It is true that the onboard solar panels on electric cars could be an intriguing puzzle piece in the charging infrastructure for the vehicles. Even if the kits fall short of Wasik's anticipated 60 miles of extra range, the extra charge could still be a sustainable boost for green transportation.
Wasik said that most people buy an EV because they want to be green. The electricity is coming from a plant that burns fossil fuels. We are excited about finding a way to make EV what we want them to be.
Musk has expressed interest in solar panels for the vehicles, though his enthusiasm has varied wildly depending on the context.
He said in 2016 that the company would probably offer a solar roof option for the Model 3, and that the upgrade wouldn't be "super expensive" or "retractable".
Musk has promised that the Cybertruck will be available with a solar power option. A patent application from earlier this year shows a design for retractable solar panels on a vehicle.
Musk told Joe Rogan last year that the Cybertruck wouldn't provide enough power for daily use unless it wasn't driven often. Musk told Rogan that a solar-powered van might make more sense because of its design.
Musk told Rogan that he could leave it in the sun if he put the cover of the truck bed. You would be lucky if you could do ten miles a day.
The question of whether EV Solar Kits is positioning itself to be acquired by the automaker was raised by Musk's ambiguous position toward the tech.
Wasik joked that he would want to meet Elon if that happened.
He said that they were worried about getting the best product to consumers.
He believes that the tight-knit community of EV enthusiasts will only respond to a product that delivers on a technical level.
Wasik says that they did their best to be the educational solar company that people could understand. It might not have been as sexy a pitch, but that is who we wanted to be.
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