Solar cars
How much would it help to have solar panels built into an electric car?
car_top.area
2.5 m^2
Surface area of a typical car's roof + hood + trunk
solar_panel.efficiency
17%
Efficiency of an average solar panel
Some solar panels are more efficient than this, but they tend to be expensive and contain more rare metals.
sunlight_average
200 watts per m^2
Solar irradiance, averaged over a whole year INCLUDING nights, cloudy days, etc.
Note: This varies by region.
https://www.newport.com/t/introduction-to-solar-radiation
http://www.ftexploring.com/solar-energy/insolation.htm
https://www.newport.com/t/introduction-to-solar-radiation
http://www.ftexploring.com/solar-energy/insolation.htm
electric_car.efficiency
100 miles per 34.6 kWh
The "gas mileage" equivalent for an average electric car.
Average Electric Car kWh Per Mile [Results From 231 EVs]
ecocostsavings.com/average-electric-car-kwh-per-mile
Data originally from epa.gov/fueleconomy
ecocostsavings.com/average-electric-car-kwh-per-mile
Data originally from epa.gov/fueleconomy
(calculation loading)
That's how much mileage you'd get from the solar panels, if the car was in the sun the whole time.
The average person drives more than that, so the car would still need some external charging. Solar options include rooftops, solar charging stations, or maybe a gas station roof.
Other considerations: In the winter, one would need to brush snow & ice off all parts of the car, not just its windows/windshields.