--- title: "Tesla Unveils Trailer With Pop-Out Solar Panels" description: "While we're not expecting to see it hitting store shelves soon, Tesla has shown off a solar range extending trailer during an exposition in Germany." date: "2022-07-05" modified: "2022-07-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-unveils-trailer-pop-out-solar-panels" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" - "Tesla" tags: - "solar panels" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Unveils Trailer With Pop-Out Solar Panels ![While we're not expecting to see it hitting store shelves soon, Tesla has shown off a solar range extending trailer during an exposition in Germany.]() *\Image: Tesla Adri via Twitter\* ## Solar Trailer While we're not expecting to see it hitting store shelves any time soon, Tesla has shown off a massive solar trailer during an exposition in Germany, as seen in [new images]() shared online. The bulky range-extending trailer even includes a SpaceX Starlink internet satellite dish in the back. In short, it's the ultimate off-grid accessory for your Tesla — if it ever were to go into production, that is. The car company showed off the trailer at the IdeenExpo in Hannover, Germany this week. It's a fun demo, but probably less of a finished consumer product than an effort to draw attention at the expo. https://twitter.com/tesla_adri/status/1543958596983169025 ## Boosting Range It's not the first time Tesla has indicated it's looking to boost range using solar panels. Tesla CEO Elon Musk [promised back in 2019]() that the yet-to-be-released Cybertruck would feature solar power panels on its back that would generate "15 miles per day, possibly more." While we have yet to see any concrete plans that the pickup truck will actually feature a solar add-on, the company did [submit patent applications]() for the idea last year. ## Trickle Charge According [to *Electrek*](), there's a decent chance we could be looking at 300 watt solar panels, resulting in an estimated 50 miles of extra range a day. It could also provide new options for off-grid Tesla fans, especially with the Starlink upgrade. But the car company has yet to release any details. It did, however, show off something a little more concrete at the exposition: a Model Y SUV featuring the company's 4680 structural batteries, a significant part of the company's plans to boost the range and capacity of its future vehicles, regardless of how they're charged. **READ MORE:** [Tesla unveils solar range extender trailer with SpaceX Starlink internet terminal]() \[*Electrek*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Terrifying Video Shows Self-Driving Tesla Head Into Oncoming Traffic]()* ## 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]()