If you’re thinking about owning or leasing an EV, it’s likely that sustainability and the environment are important to you. So when it comes to charging your electric car, you may be curious if there are renewable ways to do it, like by solar power for instance.
There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that you cannot have solar panels on your cars – yet. The good news is that you can have your EV solar powered, so let’s look at how this is possible and in what ways you’ll benefit.
EV charge by solar panels on the roof
If you have rooftop solar panels installed at home, you will be able to use their energy to charge your electric car. If you are currently exporting a small portion of your unused energy back to the grid, it makes sense to harness this power to charge your EV.
To maximise savings, charge your car when the sun is out, ideally first thing in the morning before you start your day. If you can only charge at night, you may benefit from a domestic battery system like Tesla’s Powerwall that will store your solar energy from the day.
How much solar power will I need to charge my EV?
On average, Australians drive 36.4 km per day. A standard EV can travel about 6.5km on 1kWh of battery charge. That means around 5.6 kWh is needed a day to charge the electric car from your solar panels.
How long your EV will take to charge using solar power will depend on three factors:
- Your EV make and model and its battery size.
- Your solar power system and household’s typical energy usage.
- Your daily driving distance.
How will I benefit from solar powering my EV?
According to data from Accenture and financial services firm Plenti, most households will save between $7,500 and $12,400 over 15 years with a combined EV, solar and battery system.
If you don’t have solar power installed, you can still make significant savings charging your EV using a smart charger that intelligently works out the cheapest times of day to charge when energy rates are at their lowest. For just $44.95 a month, our evCharge Plan gives you a smart charger at your home, plus 12 months free access to the ActewAGL Evie east-coast charging network.
Summary
- If you have solar panels installed at home, you will be able to charge your EV.
- Make savings by having your EV solar powered when it is sunny first thing in the morning, or at night by storing solar power in a battery pack.
- On average you will need 5.6 kWh a day from your solar panels to charge the electric car.
- Using a combined EV, solar and battery system will save between $7,500 and $12,400 over 15 years.
Are you considering making the switch to an electric vehicle? ActewAGL can help you effortlessly find, finance and charge your EV. Discover how ActewAGL can support your transition to sustainable driving today.
