- In 2021, Lightyear One, the first solar car
- 45 km more Toyota's new push to the solar car
- Launch: Tesla Cybertruck, from $ 39,900
There are voices in Silicon Valley that Tesla will be much more than a car company in the near future. The bet is that it will end up becoming a power of the energy sector worldwide. Just as Apple went from selling computers to revolutionizing the music and mobile phone industry; Or Amazon started with books to later become the master and master of electronic commerce, Tesla is on the way to mutating into a concept with many more edges than the automotive one. And that path goes through solar energy.
Elon Musk, the CEO of the company, said in 2017 that he did not see the idea of installing sunroofs in his cars, particularly in his low cost, the Model 3. He felt that there was not enough space to generate a significant amount of energy. . Three years later, he seems to have changed his mind. Musk has already confirmed that his long-awaited Cybertruck, the futuristic pickup he unveiled in November 2019, will have an option with a sunroof installed in the wide rear that covers the cargo area.
The goal is to generate an additional 15 miles -24 kilometers-of autonomy per day, which could be enough for many drivers' daily commute. It is the first time that Tesla confirms the installation of a rooftop solar panel system on one of its models. The formula is not new. Toyota has already used it in the Prius and continues to develop the concept and, in addition, there are already electric cars that have their bodies covered with solar panels that feed their batteries.
It is also a first step towards internal power generation that allows each of your cars to be self-sufficient and store enough to trade with it later. Ambition is a huge fleet of vehicles worldwide turned into constantly moving miniature power plants.
Whether or not the concept works is something that can be seen starting in 2021, which is when the stainless steel pick-ups and a look inspired by Blade Runner are scheduled to hit the market. For now, orders already exceed half a million units. Tesla has yet to confirm how much the extra item will cost in an incentive-laden vehicle for its future owners. Standard will have armored glass, a range of 400 kilometers per charge, a towing capacity of 3,400 kilos and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km in 6.5 seconds.
For now, Musk remains steadfast in his ambition to grab some of the US solar home market. It is not a cheap process - around $ 83,000 for an average-sized house - but it not only eliminates the problem of conventional electric bills at the root, but it also solves the aesthetic question, a transcendental factor for many.
What they offer are solar tiles that imitate the style of the conventional ones and that generate enough energy to supply the house and charge the electric cars that are needed. It is Tesla's lesser-known paw but one that certain analysts believe could compete with the car business in the medium term.
"The future we all want is a future where we look around and see rooftops storing energy and doing something useful," Musk said at a conference on the product. Those solar shingles have already begun to proliferate in some affluent neighborhoods in California and the ambition is to sell the entire ecosystem from coast to coast: the electric car in the garage, the Powerwall battery for domestic use to store energy and a stylish solar roof.
Their titles closed at $ 516 on Monday, a far cry from the 968 they reached before the coronavirus crisis. If Musk's dream comes true, the opportunity is unique to be part of another Silicon Valley titan's journey into the stratosphere.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more- Motor
- Tesla Motors
- Electric cars
AlternativesWe tested Kia's hybrid SUVs with and without plug
'Charging' mobility on alert: Zity and Wible stop their activity while Share Now and Free2Move reinforce cleaning
IndustriaHarley-Davidson closes most of its plants in the US until March 29 and plans an ERTE