Can I Use A Portable Solar Charger for Electric Car?

Solar power has increasingly become popular over the past decade. With its uncountable benefits and cost-effective ways, more and more people are opting to switch over to solar energy rather than their regular form of energy.

With that being said, one can also run as many different devices such as refrigerator, Air conditioner, cars on solar technology with the help of portable solar chargers, converters, batteries, etc., since they produce green energy. Therefore, that brings us to the question: Can you use a portable solar charger for electric cars like Tesla?

Electric cars like Tesla usually have eco-friendly powering systems, although they mainly get powered by charging from the conventional source of electricity. Thus, to answer the above question, let’s understand the capacity of a solar charger and search for alternative methods of charging an electric car.

How Much Energy Is Needed To Charge Electric Cars Like Tesla?

To explain the amount of energy required to charge electric cars, let’s understand how Tesla works. Like any other petrol or diesel-driven cars, electric cars also require an adequate amount of charge from the grid. The power consumption of the car heavily depends on the model of the car and the manufacturer of the car.

For example, let’s understand this energy consumption by considering and comparing the charging of a Tesla Model X.

Usually, these electric cars can be charged anywhere provided there’s a Tesla Supercharger Station or any other charging station to be fair; however, their power consumption usually depends on the size and capacity of the battery that the model comes with (basically the one that the customers opt for while purchasing their electric cars).

This particular model holds different battery capacities from the range 60-100 kWh, whereas 1 kWh stands for 1000 watts used in one hour. 

Hence, by multiplying the value with the power capacity of the EV battery, one can easily find out the estimated value or amount of power required for charging and driving an electric car. Thus, the charging time and electricity costs are directly proportional to the capacity of the battery.

Can I Use A Portable Charger To Charge An Electric Car? 

Electric cars like Tesla usually contain a high-power battery which requires a supercharger station to charge the car in general.

Electric cars usually store the battery’s power, and therefore, it is important to have available charge stations whenever required for a refill. Although a portable charger seems like a good plan, it’s not practical to charge large batteries like Tesla electric cars.  

1. Capacity Of Portable Solar Charger for Electric Cars

A solar charger is usually a combined system consisting of portable solar panels, a converter, and batteries. Here, the batteries cannot be charged directly from the solar panels, although portable solar chargers come with an attached solar panel, which is primarily small and compact.

Therefore, these kinds of portable solar chargers are usually a perfect fit for mobiles, laptops, tablets, and any other small electronic device. These portable solar chargers are designed to be used outdoors, when one is not close to the utility grid. 

However, the battery power and the power absorption capacity of the same are not so high. Thus, portable solar chargers are not likely to be a good choice for charging an electric car like Tesla Model X, and their capability is standard for small and medium applications. 

2. Is It Possible To Charge Electric Cars With Solar Chargers

Although one can easily install a powerful solar charger with high capability at home or office without having the luxury to make it portable, it will be at the expense of several solar panel requirements, which may soon become the obstacle for carrying the charging system. However, in doing so, you will be ensured of both powering your home as well as charging your electric car. 

The cost of solar is drastically reducing, and big names such as Nissan, Tesla, etc., are manufacturing new models that can fit the quota for daily use. 

Well, now the big problem lies here. For example, even if you decide to install a solar system as big to power both your home and car, it will cost you a lifetime, including the incentives and rebates available for both technologies, to build one and buy an electric car at the same time.

Now, coming back to the important question, yes, a solar installation does have the power to charge an electric car, even with a small system of about 10 solar panels. 

3. How To Charge An Electric Car?

One of the most significant advantages of EV owners is that they can actually refill at home, unlike conventional gas car owners. A standard outlet may take a while for the purpose, and hence, a wall charger can be a quicker fix.

It is important to mention that all-electric cars come with a 110 volt-compatible home connector kit which is essentially a fancy extension cord, to connect it into a standard power outlet that connects one end to the car and the other end to the outlet. The efficient charging capacity may sum up to running 44 miles after one hour of charging.

Conclusion

To conclude, you cannot charge an electric car like Tesla with a portable solar charger, although a solar home installation might just work wonders instead. It is recommended to use authentic chargers and power sources for an electric car.