[jg.]

There's an online vehicle builder for the Japanese market that I was messing around on and noticed it has a note saying (automatically translated so grammar may not be correct):

For cars equipped with solar roofs, we have closed your order because we have reached the maximum number of units that can be produced.

It has been beyond annoying that Subaru customer communication has been so dismal throughout the Solterra development, but why particular items are excluded from the US market has been almost infuriating (brown leather and solar roof in particular). I wrote to Subaru a number of times in the last year or so expressly stating I would pay for all the options but did not want a glass roof -- what I did want was the Solar Roof.

Maybe this is an indication there were so few Solar Roof components that could be built, they couldn't promise them to any external market.

Japanese Solterra Estimation Simulation

 

[Crumas]

Having a solar roof on an EV sounds looks at first glance, but unless the cells have unheard-of efficiency, they’ll provide very little charging, even over a number of hours.

 

[jg.]

...they’ll provide very little charging, even over a number of hours.

Absolutely, but every little bit helps. If I'm out camping and the car can add 1 or 2 miles back to the battery just by it sitting there during the day, then that's 1 or 2 miles more than I had when I got there.

I think everything should have integrated solar panels to eek out power from every nook and cranny of our society.

 

[bob E]

I wonder if the wiring harness has a location in it to which a solar panel could be connected.

 

[md.]

That would be cool, if it had an RV-type connector where you could just plug in a briefcase solar panel!

 

[bobleon39540]

I would want it just for the 12-volt battery.

 

[R P]

I would want it just for the 12-volt battery.

Why? The 12V battery is charged by the traction battery.

 

[bobleon39540]

You are camping and you want to play music, etc. without draining the traction battery. Or the 12-volt battery is failing (reasons unknown).

 

[R P]

It takes a very minimal traction battery drain draw to keep the 12V battery charged.

To keep it in perspective, a typical car battery is around 60 amp hours. That's .72 kWh or 1% of your Solterra traction battery capacity.

 

[HeyChris]

Once the technology trickles downward.... I'd love to have a solar panel on the roof of a vehicle that can also combine the heat from the cabin due to sitting in a mall parking lot...

XYZ item be damned. lolz

C.