Ford has a patent application for a kind of car cover lined with solar cells, essentially an inflatable cocoon that can use solar power to charge an EV. Its possible that the Mustang Mach-E and future Ford EV's will get this, or some other solar setup, especially as other major industry players show interest in the tech.
A solar roof that Toyota is developing for the Prius is already capable of adding up to 28 miles of range daily. If a production version of Ford's setup can achieve around that at launch, then I think its a great start that can alone cover most of our daily range needs.
If the car cover generated enough power during the day, you might never have to plug-in your Mach-E. I could see this tech being integrated into future Ford EVs one or two generations ahead.
If the car cover generated enough power during the day, you might never have to plug-in your Mach-E. I could see this tech being integrated into future Ford EVs one or two generations ahead.
The 28 miles that Toyota is able to generate comes close to the average miles driven per day. I bet that's what most automakers are aiming for with solar. Another benefit will be eliminating phantom drain which Tesla's are known for and what we might experience here.
