Why aren’t there solar cars (and trucks)? (Forbes)

To set the stage, let’s consider several events within the first half of 2021 which should have naturally led the masses to the doorstep of solar cars. For starters, in January the Atomic Scientists read the Doomsday Clock and told us we are 100 seconds away from midnight. At nearly the same time, I Am Greta is released to Hulu and a social awakening happens in the midst of correlated changes in the U.S. administration.

Maybe – just maybe – these alarms led to or minimally supported a collective ephiphany that behaviors, regulations and products must change in order to preserve the Earth or, more accurately, preserve humans (since the Earth will survive). And policy began to change around the world. In the first quarter, President Biden appointed Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation, who quickly proposed a $2B infrastructure plan including electrification because, in his own words, “time is running out in the fight against climate change.” Also in January, Governor Newsom mandated zero emissions from all passenger cars and light trucks in California by 2035 since they … pose a direct threat to the environment, the economy and public health.” Nearly coincident with these announcements, the EU announced its aim to have at least 30 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads by 2030, and China imposed a mandate requiring that electric vehicles comprise 40% of all vehicle sales by 2030. A worldwide awakening.

But also coincident with these mandates were public exclamations regarding a series of significant obstacles. The infrastructure frequently has been poorly maintained and the electric grid is undersized for the current loading, e.g., the United States has more power outages than any other developed country and, per the U.S. Department of Energy, expects a 38% increase in consumption by 2050 mostly due to the rise of electric vehicles. Utilities are already flirting with passing along the costs of network upgrades, which could cost upwards of $5,800 per vehicle. In addition, multiple manufacturers have been required to halt production of EVs in recent months due to “battery supply bottlenecks” with cobalt demand likely to increase by 160% in the coming years. Extra mining has, in fact, already created unwanted side effects including human rights abuses, child labor and dangerous working conditions. In fact, Toyota’s Director of Energy and Environmental Research, Robert Wimmer, recently told a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, “If we are to make dramatic progress in electrification, it will require overcoming tremendous challenges, including refueling infrastructure, battery availability, consumer acceptance and affordability, and the reliability of the electric grid.” Wimmer went on to say, “If we tie our horse to a single approach, many consumers will simply opt for an internal combustion vehicle.

Enter: The Solar Car

A few manufacturers – mostly start-ups — have developed various solar-powered vehicle designs, typically with the capability of augmented fueling via plug-in electric. The minimalist goal for some of them (e.g., Hyundai, Tesla, Toyota) is to extend the range of the electric vehicle by recharging without stopping. For others such as Aptera and Lightyear One, the goal is much greater: to rarely utilize the grid and achieve most of the fueling via the solar panels.

“As we started to do the math given more efficient solar panels and improved battery performance over the past decade, we realized we could produce almost 700 Watts with our solar body panels,” stated Chris Anthony, co-CEO of Aptera Motors. “With a hyper-efficient vehicle platform, that translates to 40 miles per day of free charge range. The average North American and European driver goes 31 and 25 miles a day respectively and, boom, there ‘ya go. It’s an equation that really makes sense for people. They can do all of their daily driving just off of solar.”

But there are people at all manufacturers who can do math. So why aren’t they talking about solar?

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