Aptera-style solar panels in SUV option.

[Paul Rodgers]

OK, Golf cart.

6 * 6v lead batteries, old 36v EZGo golfcart, as dumb as it gets.
Panels, 3 120w 18v panels in series, so the panels generally put out about 50 - 60v, in full sun, at about 5-6 amps.
So that "360watts" is more like 240 in the real world.

Tied down to the roof with zip-ties.
PowrMr mppt controller, very generic (chinese) BUT LOW POWER, 500w max!
Hooks the panels to the batteries (well, I did put in a 30A fuse, on the battery feed side, just caution). used #12 wire, should probably be #10. Fuse on the motor-feed from batteries is 400A. Those are honking great starter-motor cables.

No inverter, no 110vAC, only instrumentation is a voltmeter, which usually reads about 40v initially, dropping to 34 -35v when rumbling along at an astonishing 8mph.

Not even a 12v cigarette lighter. (big mistake, I need to add it for accessories and USB charging)
Lights are 36v (3 12v lights, wired in series, single switch) which means of course no brake lights, and no horn.

Have not plugged the !@#$ thing into a charger in a year

BUT, only few miles/day, very light load. This is FL, its flat, bit wet sometimes, so wheel-spin.
Much to my surprise its never been stuck, frequently used carrying tools to get the neighbors going again.
I can post pix, its VERY ugly. but it works.

Everyone loves it, its so slow we even let kids drive as long as Moma's along!

 

[sodamo]

OK, Golf cart.

6 * 6v lead batteries, old 36v EZGo golfcart, as dumb as it gets.
Panels, 3 120w 18v panels in series, so the panels generally put out about 50 - 60v, in full sun, at about 5-6 amps.
So that "360watts" is more like 240 in the real world.

Tied down to the roof with zip-ties.
PowrMr mppt controller, very generic (chinese) BUT LOW POWER, 500w max!
Hooks the panels to the batteries (well, I did put in a 30A fuse, on the battery feed side, just caution). used #12 wire, should probably be #10. Fuse on the motor-feed from batteries is 400A. Those are honking great starter-motor cables.

No inverter, no 110vAC, only instrumentation is a voltmeter, which usually reads about 40v initially, dropping to 34 -35v when rumbling along at an astonishing 8mph.

Not even a 12v cigarette lighter. (big mistake, I need to add it for accessories and USB charging)
Lights are 36v (3 12v lights, wired in series, single switch) which means of course no brake lights, and no horn.

Have not plugged the !@#$ thing into a charger in a year

BUT, only few miles/day, very light load. This is FL, its flat, bit wet sometimes, so wheel-spin.
Much to my surprise its never been stuck, frequently used carrying tools to get the neighbors going again.
I can post pix, its VERY ugly. but it works.

Everyone loves it, its so slow we even let kids drive as long as Moma's along!

????
and how does charging a 36vdc golf cart relate to charging a 400 vdc Slate or Aptera. As you state, you have a charge controller. I fully expect that is what the Aptera black box is and still unidentified. Also the part I suspect I’m looking for.
Please identify this mysterious Black box that will allow me to charge an EV from a 4K array to a 400 volt EV battery without additional batteries or ac inverter. Or maybe, like Ben you don’t have the info.

 

[Paul Rodgers]

dunno dude, If your solar was wired in series to 600v or so I could perhaps see it happening.
But as I said, UP FRONT, this is the part that currently seems to be made of unobtanium.

Now, it is NOT impossible, its just clever high-power electronics.
Maybe this is the bit Aptera has mastered, if its that difficult it would be very foolish of them to publish any details before the patents are granted.

Personally, I dont think so, just a personal opinion. I dont have a 400v battery handy to mess with (I do have a 104v one tho, so I'll take a look at that)

And anyway, electronics: if its difficult now, it will be commonlpace in 3 years.

 

[sodamo]

dunno dude, If your solar was wired in series to 600v or so I could perhaps see it happening.
But as I said, UP FRONT, this is the part that currently seems to be made of unobtanium.

Now, it is NOT impossible, its just clever high-power electronics.
Maybe this is the bit Aptera has mastered, if its that difficult it would be very foolish of them to publish any details before the patents are granted.

Personally, I dont think so, just a personal opinion. I dont have a 400v battery handy to mess with (I do have a 104v one tho, so I'll take a look at that)

And anyway, electronics: if its difficult now, it will be commonlpace in 3 years.

my bad apperantly, Sorry

your previous
”Now, this is where the EV space gets a bit sketchy, there are a few pieces out there for 400v battery, but not many (and extra $$ as you would expect)

But they do exist, this is the "magic bit" that Apera have figured out. So? hook that up between the solar and the battery and your EV is good to go. No AC power needed at all. Not even a connection to the EV charging port!”

I read this to mean they were available(they do exist). Can’t find where you said they weren’t which is what I fully expected and would have been end of that discussion.
changing direction with new thread.

 

[Paul Rodgers]

agreed, we are both very interested in how Aptera do it, and could Slate do similar, or license it?
Either way its a tiny piece of the charging puzzle, good for someone like me who does not drive much.
But in that case paying the power company, and using a regular 110v extension cord? probably a lot cheaper, even over 5+ years

One prediction tho: condo's and apartment blocks will start adding level-2 chargers like crazy in any area that has low night-time power costs. Bet its already happening.

 

[Trace26]

Would be cool if they made a bifacial solar "moon roof" that replaces the removable top on the SUV topper. Would let some defused light into the back seats and can add some power.

 

[Blackspots76]

I image the way Aptera does it, is that their solar panels are wired in series, likely producing 25V and 5.4A per set (there are 3 sets) for 75V at 5.4A for 405W, and have a solar charge controller that is 75V input and produces 10A at maybe 48V (like Victron's cheapest MPPT solar charge controller, that's a 75/10). That 48V output is then sent to the car's charge controller and boosted from 48V to 400V to charge the batteries (but at about 1.2A).

Aptera expects you to get 40 miles of range per day in perfect conditions. Likely you might be getting closer to 25 miles of range from the panels.

 

[Garbone]

I have solar on my sailboat as to not pay $40 a month for AC service at my slip. Boat has 200ah 12v lfp house battery and 12v lead acid start battery that is isolated from the lfp pack via a coupler so the old style DC alternate is not destroyed by the Lfp draw.

Have a 100watt flexibly renology panel screwed to my sea hood. It is obscured by the rigging and boom about half of the day but does put out enough to keep my batteries topped up (good to have as the bilge pump is pretty important).

This is my second solar panel, the previous 50watt panel was destroyed by a near miss hurricane.

On a car the panel you have to be integrate it into the topper or have it bolted on. The cells would be prone to damage be it falling branches, people tying a conoe to the roof.

You have to integrate the wire, charge controller and panel. This all adds cost. All for minimal range addition and higher maintenance costs and complexity. Kind of a gimmick.

To go further, would only want solar on the topper, possibly may get 200 watts from the footprint.

About 8 amps in the sun at 14volts. 112watts a day or roughly 1kw a day. Call that 4miles around town or 12 cents of electricity at my current home rate. $43 a year and the materials DIY would be $300 minimum so 6 years to recoup the cost. Not worth the hassle.