Solar roof cut short, Musk may launch new convertible

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the company might offer a solar roof option for the Tesla Model 3. But now, Musk has begun to pour cold water on the idea, according to foreign media reports.

He said the company did explore fitting the Model 3 with a solar roof, similar to the one on the Toyota Prius (above), but the problem was that the electricity it would generate was not cost-effective.

Tesla has evaluated solar cells mounted on the roof of a Toyota Prius Prime that collect solar energy during the day and convert it into electricity for storage, but the range increase may be less than 2 miles. In addition, the amount of electricity collected is highly dependent on the region of the world where the vehicle is located and where it is parked.

Still, other competitors in the solar car space are racing to advance the technology. Surprisingly, one startup has even developed a solar car that is now allowed to drive on the road. The company has equipped its new model with solar roof technology, but the product may just be "vaporware."

The roof area is usually not very large, but engineers can arrange it properly to improve the efficiency of the solar array to support vehicle charging. In addition, users can install solar panels at home to charge the vehicle, which is usually more efficient.

At the National Governors Association meeting last Friday (July 15, 2017), Musk said he had urged engineers to integrate solar arrays into vehicles but came to the same conclusion (that the charging efficiency was not in line with the cost).

He said last Friday that Tesla may put solar arrays on the backbone of the vehicle (pictured above). He estimated that Tesla may launch a convertible car. When the user parks the car in a parking space, the vehicle will unfold a thin layer of solar cells. Tesla engineers estimate that if this method is used, the range may be extended by 20-30 miles per day. However, Musk added that the solution is quite complicated.

Musk appears to have forgotten about offering a solar roof option for the Tesla Model 3 or other vehicles.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.