Solar power panels on hood and roof

[Mike Hickey]

In addition to solar collecting tonneau cover will CT offer the same on roof and hood?
For sure it would eliminate battery drain from phatum loads and would generate enough range to run to the nearby grocery store or destination charger.

Sion is doing just that. Why not Tesla?
See pic of Sion with solar collection on roof & hood.

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[oliverm]

Imagine charging your car while you are at work and the car is parked outside your office in the sun...WOW, Great Idea! By the way, I found interesting article about solar power https://websolarguide.com/rechargeable-battery-for-solar-panel/

 

[J.W.]

I will drive my Cybertruck in Ghana West Afrika and for sure I want to have Solar Panels where ever possible.

 

[Illeat1]

https://electrek.co/2020/03/31/tesla-next-killer-app-solar-power-electric-car-cybertruck/

 

[lukefrisbee]

https://electrek.co/2020/03/31/tesla-next-killer-app-solar-power-electric-car-cybertruck/

The article loses credibility when they fail to recognize the rolling tonneau cover of the vault was where Elon stated the solar charging cells would be located. Even in the mock-up the rolling tonneau cover "disappeared."

On a personal note I would LOVE it if the rolling tonneau cover "disappeared" for real for the following reasons:
Just plain EXPENSIVE

Probably will get hung up or break more often than alternatives

Likely to leak more often than the alternatives

And my biggest concern: The tonneau cover has to come through the back wall of the cab to cover the vault, and it is stored in the "bottom" of the Cyber. It is an engineering challenge to make access from inside the cab to the vault free from dangers, and to make the wall between the two move out of the way to allow good access to the vault.

I am NOT an engineer, but I have exceptional 3-D abilities/imagination. I actually can do 3-D visualizations from 2-D diagrams so well I was tested, and then retested twice. The third time the two testers sat and watched me. They claimed it was because they were interested. It felt like they were trying to see how I was cheating. But in the end they told me I scored higher than anyone they had tested before. I told them it came from my Summer Job in College. I used to go with a crew in a U-haul to the Northeastern USA, and fill it full of salvaged "Architectural antiques." You try getting as much gingerbread, bannisters, and wainscoting into truck without damaging it. Doing 3-d visualizations is easy after you've developed that skill..

Anyway, I just find it hard to see how the engineers are going to resolve all the issues of the rolling tonneau cover going through that back wall of the cab and also allow the cab to open up into the vault.

 

[Blue Steel]

Probably will get hung up or break more often than alternatives

Likely to leak more often than the alternatives

I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.

And my biggest concern: The tonneau cover has to come through the back wall of the cab to cover the vault, and it is stored in the "bottom" of the Cyber. It is an engineering challenge to make access from inside the cab to the vault free from dangers, and to make the wall between the two move out of the way to allow good access to the vault.

That is an issue to me too. I think ideally the cover would roll up in the spot above the rear window. Which would leave more room in the vault and leave easier access for a pass through.

 

[Dids]

I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.



That is an issue to me too. I think ideally the cover would roll up in the spot above the rear window. Which would leave more room in the vault and leave easier access for a pass through.

On the prototype the cover rolls under the bed. I dont think it enters the cab or is rolled up. I do not think the cover will disappear... it is probably vital to the milage efficiency. I'm less concerned about it leaking or thet it will break, more concerned with it not allowing a pass through and also all the dirt that will end up down the path.

 

[lukefrisbee]

I don't know. The cover appears to use the same tech as my old garage door opener. It's operated trouble-free for decades. And I open and close it at least twice a day. While I'll probably open and close this cover way less.

yeah I sort of think of it as a garage door... BUT you garage door is not waterproof and does not almost lay horizontal... Horizontal tracks can hold leaves twigs...rocks!

 

[lukefrisbee]

ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.

 

[Sirfun]

ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.

Why not use the built in air compressor to blow crap out of the tracks?

 

[Dids]

ya know? We are thinking it "rolls up." Well I was...but what if it doesn't? And it makes more sense that it doesn't. You see it could just slide down and lay over the battery pack. (More like a residential garage door than an industrial roll-up door.) That would be the easiest way to store it without making the battery pack an odd shape, and all the logistic crap that that would create. And if it only bends a little on the turns perhaps it can be designed to be waterproof and rugged.
It still has the issue of the tracks having crap getting stuck in them.

On the prototype that is exactly what I believe happens. The smooth and rapid movement means it doesnt roll up. Also when you look at the exoskeleton there isnt a roll up location, in addition the in bed storage looks like it is right where the cover would stop if it stopped retracting at the bed wall. A tambour ( used on roll top desks)door is relatively easier to water proof and is pretty stable and strong vs a garage door with hinges approach.

 

[Blue Steel]

There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?

 

[lukefrisbee]

There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?

and I was just about to thank Dids till you come in with facts....

 

[Mini2nut]

It reminds me of a commercial roll up garage door. I have no doubt the Tesla engineers will have it figured out by the time the Cybertruck goes into production.

 

[Dids]

There's a noticeably large "hump" in the vault right below the rear window, which is where the cover disappears to. If the cover isn't rolling up into that area then what do you think that "hump" is doing there?

I agree that there is a hump where the door could be rolled up, I imagined a battery pack filling the space between the vertical part where the seat is and the rear wheel sub frame. A tambour style door would require a spiral track though to roll up and that seems excessively cumbersome. I certainly have no knowledge that it remains flat vs rolled up. If it's not a tambour then I fear water proofing....
There appears to be about 38 slats/ lathes on the 6.5ft bed and since its sloped the slats would be more than 2 in wide.