Tesla displayed a new solar range extender trailer with a SpaceX Starlink internet satellite system at a trade expo in Germany.
As EVs become more effective, more people are starting to think about the prospect of installing solar panels to extend the range.
Companies like Aptera, Sono, and Lightyear have had some success with projects involving incredibly efficient cars with integrated solar cells.
Due to its lesser efficiency, solar power hasn't been as popular when it comes to full-size electric vehicles because it doesn't greatly boost range.
Many EV owners have thought about deploying deployable solar panels as a portable alternative to independent charging that would extend the range of their EVs,
frequently in the shape of a trailer. The attendees at the IdeenExpo in Hannover, Germany, were shocked last week
when Tesla unveiled a technology that equips a trailer with deployable solar panels:
Though Tesla also brought a Model Y cutout to showcase its new structural battery pack with 4680 battery cells for its booth at the event,
the new solar range extender is the most innovative device.
The solar range extender trailer also comes with a Starlink satellite internet receiver from SpaceX.
Starlink recently made changes to its technology to enable internet access from its terminal while driving.
Tesla may not have built the trailer for any particular reason, but it is unlikely that the automaker will ever sell it to the general public.
If those are all 300W panels, which they don't exactly seem to be, the output should be 2.7kW. When folded up, it would only provide a third of that range, and
when fully extended, it would only produce fewer than 50 miles of range daily.
Tesla rarely attends the exposition outside of recruiting attempts, thus it seems to be more of a lure for that event.