Thanks for your input. I always wondered why EV's do not have solar panel roof's and why paint technology has not yet progressed to the point where it could not contribute to recharging the batteries.
Without the capability to recharge in a very short time as well as not needing special receptacles to do the job, this EV program is a toy for the tree huggers.
My neighbor had his Tesla's batteries run low on a return trip in winter and the car took over shutting down heat, unnecessary accessories, and slowed the speed to allow him to get home albeit an hour late.
All the goodies like cabin heat, entertainment system, even the little tablet they use for a control console, all require electricity from those same batteries. Even the computer that shut down unnecessary systems and govern maximum battery discharge rates to avoid damaging the battery.
If course, the gasoline engine is what provides cabin heat. Running out of gas and you are on battery only, until it too is discharged from use of lights and entertainment system. Most folks, however, start walking with a gas can to the nearest gas station. Can't do that with an electric car!
It's better not to run out of fuel. Both vehicles have a 'fuel gauge'.
It's more tempting, of course, to push the Tesla further on low charge because it takes so freakin' long to charge it.
A gasoline car only requires a few minutes. Easily done on a return trip in the winter.
A diesel car is just about as convenient. Diesel fuel is available at most stations along major highways and in a fair number of places elsewhere. The biggest headache with diesel fuel is the cold. It is possible to put in additives to alleviate some of that though.
Solar panels just do not put out a lot of power. Under the best of conditions, a single residential solar panel will handle 400w, or 3KwH per day. To charge the same car, a single panel under direct sunlight would require 25 days. Remember this is under perfect conditions during that entire time. Under normal output over several days, charging would require more like 35 days. No ballast is available, since ALL of the solar panel output is dedicated to charging the car and NONE is available to charge the ballast.
A typical residential installation would have about 10-13 panels. If dedicated to charging the car, these panels would only require 2-3 days. No power for the house or for the ballast would be available during that time.
Twit liberals claiming to charge their car from solar panels are also quick to tout selling power to the power company. That means they are connected to the grid. What they DON'T tell you is that they are using power FROM the grid to supplement their charging for their car AND using electricity for the house, etc. They also conveniently leave out the fact that charging the ballast from solar power means MORE electricity from the grid must be used for other purposes, such as the house and charging of the car.
Nothin's free. Joules are joules. They don't magickally appear out of thin air. They gotta come from somewhere.
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