Tesla Cybertruck covered in solar panels generates up to 1.5 kW

Californian company Sunflare Solar has developed flexible solar cells that can be used as a cover for cars such as the Tesla Cybertruck. These cells allow you to recharge the on-board battery, adding up to 20 km. of range per day.

The system includes a 5 kW battery inverter that transfers the collected energy to the truck. Sunflare’s flexible solar panels are designed for an efficiency of about 100 W/m² in sunny weather. This means that to generate 1.5 kW, a surface of about 15 m² will be required – more than is available on a car. However, most likely, we are talking about the daily generation of 1.5 kWh of energy.

This initiative is reminiscent of the early ideas of Elon Musk, who back in 2017 considered the possibility of integrating solar panels into the Tesla Model 3. Then the engineers came to the conclusion that the technologies at that time did not provide sufficient efficiency. Since then, Tesla has focused on developing its own solar tiles, although Musk’s promises of a solar roof for the Cybertruck with a range of up to 15 miles per day have never materialized.

The emergence of flexible solar cells from Sunflare could be a step forward in the use of solar energy for electric vehicles, although for now the technology remains a niche solution suitable for certain operating conditions.