--- title: "Tesla Owner Builds Solar Array That Folds Out of Model Y Roof" description: "A particularly enterprising Tesla owner has built his very own solar panel array that can be mounted on the roof of his Model Y." date: "2024-01-19" modified: "2024-01-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-owner-builds-pop-out-solar-array" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "evs" - "solar panels" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Owner Builds Solar Array That Folds Out of Model Y Roof ![A particularly enterprising Tesla owner has built his very own solar panel array that can be mounted on the roof of his Model Y.]() *\Image: DartSolar\* ## Solar Dart An enterprising Tesla owner has built his very own solar panel array that can be mounted on the roof of his Model Y and deployed while stationary. The project, dubbed DartSolar, is made out of 3D-printed parts and a telescoping carbon fiber tube. According to the builder, the nine 175 watt panels can add 6 kilowatt hours to an EV's battery per day, which is enough to drive roughly 20 miles. However, at this point, all we can do is take the inventor by his word, and there are several reasons to be skeptical. Having such a large apparatus strapped to your roof could cut into the vehicle's aerodynamic performance, as [*Electrek* points out](), which could easily negate any gains. ## Model Sun The bulky and janky-looking solution makes up for a notable absence in solar panel tech when it comes to Tesla's offerings. Other companies, [like Aptera](), are looking to mass-produce solar-powered cars. The Elon Musk-led Tesla, in contrast, has repeatedly promised to integrate solar charging features in its cars but has yet to actually do so. In 2017, Musk [pushed]() to have solar panels integrated into the Model 3, but engineers found it simply wasn't worth it. After Musk [hoped]() to integrate a solar roof in the company's much-hyped Cybertruck, the final truck also didn't end up having such an option when it was made available late last year. And that's unfortunately for a simple reason. "It’s a surface area thing," Musk told Joe Rogan during a [November podcast episode](). "It's about a kilowatt per square meter." "You don't have enough surface area to keep the car going just from the car's surface area," Musk added at the time. "But if you had something that folded out, you could make it self-sustaining," likening it to SpaceX's Starlink satellites. "You just need more surface area." Another attempt at solar vehicle power involved a team of scientists [driving a Tesla the 9,400 miles]() around Australia in 2022 — but their 18 rollable panels measured a whopping 59 feet each. The inventor behind the DartSolar is already looking to come up with a new version, which will be "fully made out of carbon fiber" and almost half as tall, according to a [recent Reddit update](). "Under version two, I should be able to charge about 50 to 75 miles per day," he wrote. **More on solar Tesla:** *[Tesla Reportedly Canceling Solar Roof Installations Across the Country]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()