Hi there I looked up whether it was possible to buy portable solar panels, similar to those seen on trailers, campgrounds, and other locations, and use them to power an electric vehicle (EV). Certain sources affirm while others refute. Is there a consensus on this?
Yes, you can charge an EV with portable solar panels, but it’s not very practical for everyday use. Portable panels usually have low power output, so charging an EV this way would take a long time. You’d need an inverter and the right charging equipment to convert the solar energy for your car. While it can be handy for emergencies or remote locations, a fixed solar installation is better for regular EV charging.
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Hello Scott, The low wattage from portable panels results in very slow charging—taking days or even weeks. For a more practical EV charging solution, consider installing a home solar system or using public charging stations.
Only if you don’t need to drive it anywhere.
Driving at 40mph in something the size and shape of a typical road car requires something like 25–30 horsepower, which is around 20 kilowatts (kW).
In the best possible conditions (at the equator, at noon, without clouds, perfectly efficient solar panels, etc) the Sun provides 1kW per square meter, so you would need 20 square meters (215 square feet) of panels to provide the power to drive at even that slow speed.
A typical car’s roof is maybe 2 - 3 square meters, and solar panels are less than 50% efficient, so the max power available, even in otherwise ideal conditions, would be about 1.5kW.
You’d have to leave such a car in the sun, charging, for 13 hours to be able to drive it for one hour.
There is no clear consensus on using portable solar panels to charge electric vehicles (EVs). While it is technically possible to generate electricity with portable solar panels, the amount of energy produced is often insufficient to charge an EV effectively. Portable solar panels typically generate relatively low wattage, which may not match the high energy demands of EV charging. Additionally, the size and cost of solar panels needed to produce enough power for an EV would be impractical for portable applications. As of now, EV charging stations or home charging setups with grid-connected solar panels remain the more viable options for powering electric vehicles with solar energy.