Solar Panel Roof

[InnerMogul]

A full glass window is great, but when the sun is over head, you will want a different option to close/tint the glass quickly (Lexus GX 550 "Dynamic Sky"). If a sliding shade or electronic tint feature is not an option, perhaps sealing the roof completely can be an option and offering an active solar panel for the exterior roof top to add charging capabilities.

 

[R1TVT]

Even with my array of panels, which is enough to basically make electricity for my 3500 sqft house free, it would take more than 2 days to charge my 75kWh Polestar battery using the sun alone, with all power dedicated directly to vehicle charging. Solar panels just aren't that efficient yet - or rather, even BEVs are incredibly *inefficient* compared to all the lights and TVs and washing machines and clothes dryers and refrigerators and freezers and HVAC and so on that you have in your house.

Yes, efficiency will continue to improve. Regardless, if you own an EV and you own a house with a roof that is suitable for solar, you can do the math and see a payback for installing solar... And that payback becomes faster with an EV truck that needs charging. This is not assuming a battery bank either - this is assuming you are routing excess power back to the grid through your utility when you produce a surplus. A battery bank would be stellar but the expense is still very high with longer paybacks. If I lived in an area with frequent or long power outages, I would consider a battery bank, but that is not much of an issue in Northeast corridor, and you could still "plug-in" home appliances into your truck for core things like refrigeration or lights if you loose power, but I digress...

Personally, and at the end of the day, buying an American made EV truck (R1T) and adding solar to my roof (while subsequently reducing my carbon footprint) was one of the best decisions I have made. I would also classify doing this under a category of my most "patriotic" purchases, while also reducing my dependence on oil, gas, utilities, etc.. There's something pretty liberating and amazing about charging your truck at home from the sun shining over your own house, and automatically doing something better for the environment - esp as an outdoors person... This is why I have reserved a Scout.

 

[MountainDad]

I'm looking at a Scout Traveler Harvester for more practical reasons - EVs have fantastic torque and power; they have very low running costs, and so far, plugging them in to my L2 charger overnight is far cheaper than filling up a tank with fuel. We have 2 EVs for daily drivers - a PS2 and a Genesis GV60. The Polestar is a blast to drive, and the Genesis is a nice town car.

For my off-road vehicle, my Diesel Land Rover Discovery Td6 is a bruiser. True 500 mile range on the Interstate; torque for days for offroading, towing and overlanding; capabilities that have embarrassed Jeeps and Toyotas; and it's got as much space as a family of 3 plus a large dog needs for getting out of town for a long weekend with all the toys. The fact that mine has been fault-free for 7 years and 90,000 miles is a bonus. Thus, when I replace it, I want something that actually can replace it - particularly the combination of range and power/torque. I can't get a diesel with this capability any more...so it's a Traveler Harvester for me next, assuming all the marketing promises come to pass.