The electric vehicle (EV) industry is quickly rising and Elon Musk‘s Tesla is currently topping the competition as of this moment. In addition to that, people who bought Tesla cars are not only fascinated by their luxurious looks and specs but also because these allow them to go green and sustainable. They are doing this by pairing the Tesla EV with solar panels. In this article, we will also discuss how solar panels can charge a Tesla car.
Now, let us explore more about the sustainable combination of solar energy and EVs in this article.
This question is very common among homeowners who bought electric vehicles. Yes, you can charge your Tesla car with solar panels. A Tesla car is a vehicle that does not require a drop of gasoline to operate. It uses electricity instead to power its electric motors that drive the car’s wheels. Its electricity source is a pack of batteries that are placed safely inside this EV.
What is an electric vehicle, though?
An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels, fuel cells, or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity.
How many solar panels do you need to charge a Tesla car?
To quickly answer this question, we present to you a table below detailing approximately how many solar panels you would need to charge your Tesla car. The chart below shows the approximate size of a solar PV system according to a person’s daily usage of an electric vehicle.
To cover the energy cost of EV charging with solar panels, you will need to calculate how far you would drive on average every day. You could be able to determine this if you have recorded the mileage of your car.
This will then determine how much electrical energy your electric vehicle will require throughout the year. This will ultimately give you the size of the solar PV system you would need to install.
| Average Daily Drive (miles) | Average Daily Drive (km) | System Capacity (kW) | 300 Watts Solar Panels | 400 Watts Solar Panels | 450 Watts Solar Panels |
| 25 to 40 | 40 to 64 | 6.25 | 21 | 16 | 14 |
| 40 to 60 | 64 to 96 | 9.38 | 32 | 24 | 21 |
| 60 to 80 | 96 to 129 | 12.60 | 42 | 32 | 28 |
| 80 to 120 | 129 to 193 | 18.85 | 63 | 48 | 42 |
Fortunately, there is one sure way to make buying a Tesla car worth every penny wherever you might be. This is when you pair it with a renewable energy resource such as solar energy. The energy coming from the Sun and other renewable sources is free and sustainable. Thus, charging your electric vehicle using solar panels hits two birds with one stone. It means that you will not burn gasoline and pollute the environment anymore because you are using a fully-electric vehicle. Additionally, you are using free solar energy to charge your EV.
Final Thoughts: Can Solar Panels Charge a Tesla Car?
In conclusion, buying a Tesla car is beneficial especially if you pair it with solar panels to charge its batteries. Solar is the obvious next step after getting an electric vehicle. It is indeed a smart move to push for solar now that there are hundreds of thousands of EV owners who are ready for the next thing.
