#technology we probably really need
Okay also I’ve been driving electric cars long enough now to be really emphatic that the fact that they’re not all automatically built with solar panels in the roofs is a scandal.
And somehow almost every time I tell anyone this they roll their eyes and attempt to explain to me that this would not create a perpetual motion machine because of the limitations of the area relative to the power draw of the motor, which is incredibly annoying because that’s not the point.
Yes it’s possible that driving in the sunshine with a solar collector dripping into the battery would net you a little more mileage on that trip before needing recharge, but the usefulness of a solar-topped electric car is that if you drive it someplace–say, to work–and leave it outside in the sun all day, you’ll definitely have more range available by the time you’re ready to head home.
Also if you fuck up your calculations because of the inefficiency induced by cold weather or something and get yourself stranded without anywhere to charge, like halfway up a mountain or, more likely, six miles from home, you can call for rescue or walk away, come back later, and it’ll be able to move again.
This is important because unlike running out of gas you can’t really go get some electricity.
like imagine if some of the energy that turns into face-melting air when you first turn the AC on was stored as electricity instead of going to waste
Imagine if electric cars were designed and sold on their merits as practical devices and not toys for the rich.
Okay, but hear me out: foldable solar panels in the roof!
Unfold them when you’re parked and get 2 or 3 times the amperage.
You could recharge enough to limp home in an hour or two, or drive at night and recharge the batteries while you sleep on long trips.
