Aptera-style solar panels in SUV option.

[Paul Rodgers]

Yes, that solar-controller that can connect to PV panels in the 60-100v range, and manage the slate's monster LI battery at about 400v.

Once again, not huge power, about a kilowatt, just high voltage, so skinny wires, small terminals, double-insulation everywhere, and very careful installation.

In theory this should not really be very expensive, will not give you much extra range, but for me 20 miles/day would be wonderful. It would also appeal to all those apartment-dwellers who dont have easy access to even Level-1 charging, but do have a parking spot in the sun, or the Walmart parking lot next door?

 

[cadblu]

Yes, that solar-controller that can connect to PV panels in the 60-100v range, and manage the slate's monster LI battery at about 400v.

Once again, not huge power, about a kilowatt, just high voltage, so skinny wires, small terminals, double-insulation everywhere, and very careful installation.

In theory this should not really be very expensive, will not give you much extra range, but for me 20 miles/day would be wonderful. It would also appeal to all those apartment-dwellers who dont have easy access to even Level-1 charging, but do have a parking spot in the sun, or the Walmart parking lot next door?

Slate is not using lithium ion batteries, they are NMC.

 

[Paul Rodgers]

NMC is lithium-ion sir, exactly the same as Tesla use, the "NMC" is the acronym for Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt, the nasty expensive stuff thats only a few percent of the battery by weight. The immediate alternative is Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) which has a lower fire risk, is cheaper, runs at a very slightly lower voltage for each cell, and for the same capacity is quite a bit heavier.

There are a lot of other contenders out there but none really ready for prime-time just yet.
However, Slate has chosen a design with a separate battery pack, rather than integrate it into the vehicle chassis, so I forsee a nice possibility of them switching to a totally different tech as soon as it gets real.