About how many solar energy panels do you need to run a car and what would the approximate price be of panels?

Question

About how many solar energy panels do you need to run a car and what would the approximate price be of panels?

Answer 1

roughly 750 watts ( 3/4 a kiloWatt) is one horsepower.

go from there.

Answer 2

One panel (about $300-500) Will charge a battery. It will probably take a few days because one panel does not produce much power and only produces at peak power a few hours a day (On sunny days).

You would need to get from the Panel specifications what the AMP output rating is at peak. Then you need to know how many AMP-HOURS you would need to charge up the battery. From this you can estimate how many panels it would take to charge in 2 HRS, 10 HRS, etc.  Figure on only about 4 hours a day at peak output.

I have not calculated it, but it would probably take 6-12 panels to charge it in one day. This is just a guess based on my working on stand alone Solar systems for a house with a large set of batteries for storage.

Answer 3

My impression is that you get the best results by simply plugging your car into your home's regular outlet and use your solar panels to send electricity directly to the power company grid. That way you can quickly charge you car but get paid for the power you generate while the sun shines and you are not at home. Panels are still expensive to buy but they will save on your electric bill no matter how high electric rates go. Once they are paid off in a few years, they are pure profit. Think of it as an investment. Check with your state for potential tax credits and incentives.