Wasn't done in the past likely because solar panels weren't efficient

enough to be worth it.

Looks like the panels they are talking about in the article can generate 850 watts. That is enough energy to actually do something with.

Historically, solar panels generate about 15 watts per sq ft. You'd be lucky to get 200-300 watts out of the surface area of a car's hood, roof, and trunk with that efficiency.

In response to this post by EDGEMAN

Posted: 07/05/2019 at 08:22AM

Toyota to take car-installed solar pannels to the next level -- EDGEMAN 07/05/2019 08:07AM

Does this mean fake solar panel vinyl wraps will become a thing? -- MP4VT2004 07/05/2019 12:46PM

I seem to remember top gear doing a thing on a Fisker EV that had them ** -- VermontHokie 07/05/2019 09:06AM

Wasn't done in the past likely because solar panels weren't efficient -- Tafkam Hokie 07/05/2019 08:22AM

I would think the increase to the sticker price was a factor also -- MAHokie69 07/05/2019 08:35AM

I bet they get 100 MPG -- bigbadbird 07/05/2019 08:16AM

The law of unintended consequeneces -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 08:37AM

The ethanol boom was because it had to replace an emissions -- MEHOKIE 07/06/2019 07:53AM

What somebody changed a policy to help their ability to make money? -- Vtskier1 07/05/2019 09:58AM

Not TIC, but like most policy decisions, short sighted and opportunistic -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 12:31PM

And I'm not even sure it created more energy... -- `lag 07/05/2019 08:42AM

Agreed, production costs plus conversion to usable energy -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 09:03AM

Probably increased food costs temporarily ** -- bigbadbird 07/05/2019 09:18AM

Not dramatically, probably had more impact on liquor than food -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 09:48AM

From a 30,000 ft view, never made much sense to me to -- Tafkam Hokie 07/05/2019 09:48AM

Are you sure about the tradeoff in the production? I don't know, but I'm -- jmanatVT 07/05/2019 10:44AM

The distilling process to convert the grain to fuel is a sinkhole -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 12:16PM

I don't know the exact numbers -- Tafkam Hokie 07/05/2019 12:07PM

Yep, the market didn't decide that, pols did -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 09:53AM

It's not just tax money redistribution schemes, it's accounting for impacts -- jmanatVT 07/05/2019 10:50AM

Depends on your definition of the market -- Vienna_Hokie 07/05/2019 12:25PM

I doubt it is "corruption" per se -- Tafkam Hokie 07/05/2019 12:15PM

God knows what crash repair costs would be. Insurance company would cringe. ** -- Stork 07/05/2019 08:13AM

Insurance companies don’t care because they will pass that cost along. ** -- Hoakie82 07/05/2019 11:01AM

Pass it along to the guy owning that car. ** -- Stork 07/05/2019 11:10AM

Exactly right. They are only insuring value. ** -- Hoakie82 07/05/2019 3:10PM

The electronics packages now already get repair costs quickly into "silly" ** -- Hokie Bird 94 07/05/2019 10:47AM

Probably not too bad. Just pop off the panel and attach another. -- EDGEMAN 07/05/2019 08:14AM

I think the question is what happens to a hood mounted solar panel when a -- 81_Hokie 07/05/2019 09:04AM

Well cell phones are banned so no more rear enders ** -- fordham 07/05/2019 11:33AM

How do the hold up to hail and small meteorites? ** -- TomTurkey 07/05/2019 10:23AM

But something that incurs extra repair costs also incurs extra -- PhotoHokieNC 07/05/2019 09:47AM

The plug in car works awesome as long as its backup is a gasoline engine ** -- bigbadbird 07/05/2019 08:18AM

Wasn't done in the past likely because solar panels weren't efficient

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