Electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels are a match that puts money in your pocket and helps lower fossil fuel emissions. With rising adoption of solar panels, you might be somewhat forgiven for trying to work out how many solar panels do you need to charge your new EV.
The short answer is because charging an EV generally takes between seven and 12 solar panels, depending on the make and model you choose, the weather and your driving habits. Here is a brief breakdown to help you figure out how many solar panels you need to reliably power your EV.
Key takeaways
- How many solar panels are needed to charge an electric car? To charge an electric car, you would usually need 7-12 solar panels.
- How many solar panels you’ll need depends on your EV’s battery capacity, how often and how far you drive, and where you live.
- To find out how many solar panels are needed to charge your EV, you need to know how much electricity your EV uses per year (in kilowatt hours) and the (watts) of your solar panels and the production ratio of the solar panels.
- Charging your EV with a home solar energy system can increase your savings and lower your carbon footprint.
How much power will my EV require?
The first thing you’ll need to consider is to align how you’re used to using your EV will how much electricity it’s going to need to sustain that level of use. You can also look at this in a number of ways: how much electricity is needed to get back to a full charge and how much electricity you’re using for every mile you drive, typically displayed in kilowatt-hours per 100 miles driven (kWh/100 mi).
The size of your battery can help you estimate electricity needed to “fill the tank” of your EV. The capacities of electric vehicle batteries are on the larger end of the spectrum, ranging from 25 to 100+ kWh. By way of comparison, home energy storage systems like the Enphase Energy IQ and Tesla Powerwall+ can store about 13.5 kWh of electricity.
Range and battery size of popular EVs
| Company | Model | Battery Size (k Wh) | Range (miles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian | R1S | 144 | 352 |
| Tesla | Model X | 100 | 348 |
| Ford | F-150 Lightning Pro | 98 | 240 |
| Audi | Q4 e-tron | 82 | 265 |
| Hyundai | Ioniq 5 SE | 77 | 220 |
| Tesla | Model Y | 75 | 279 |
| Volkswagen | ID.4 | 62 | 209 |
| Nissan | LEAF S | 40 | 149 |
How much electricity will an EV consume in a year?
How much power an EV uses in a day, month, or year comes down primarily to how far you drive. If you live in a city and drive infrequently, your needs will be different from someone living in the suburbs or in a rural area who commutes to work every day in their car.
The average American drives almost 13,500 miles a year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. This means that most EVs, over the course of a year’s worth of driving at this level, will draw approximately 4,000 to 5,000 kWh of electricity to run them.
Popular EV models annual electricity consumption
| Company | Model | KWh/100 Mi | Annual Electricity Usage (k Wh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian | R1S | 43 | 5,805 |
| Tesla | Model X | 33 | 4,455 |
| Ford | F-150 Lightning Pro | 49 | 6,615 |
| Audi | Q4 e-tron | 33 | 4,455 |
| Hyundai | Ioniq 5 SE | 30 | 4,050 |
| Tesla | Model Y | 28 | 3,780 |
| Volkswagen | ID.4 | 31 | 4,185 |
| Nissan | LEAF S | 30 | 4,050 |
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need For Your EV?
It will be determined by three important data points:
- How much electricity your car uses each year
- The sum total wattage of all the solar panels you intend to install
- The output ratio of your panels, or how well solar panels generate electricity in your location.
Once you have grasped these numbers, you can input them into the equation below:
- [1] Number of panels = system size/production ratio/panel wattage
Let’s do the math for the typical American driver:
- An average EV consumes some 4,000 to 5,000 kWh of electricity annually.
- 390 to 400-watt panels are currently the most quoted, according to the most recent EnergySage Intel Report. For this example, energysage’ll assume all of the panels are 400 W.
- Production ratios in the U.S. tend to range from between 1.1 and 1.6, depending on region; solar panels tend to produce more electricity in sunnier climates than they would in places like the Northeast.
- [2] Number of panels = 4000-5000 kWh / 1.1 or 1.6 / 400 W
So charging an electric vehicle will typically take between 7 and 12/17 panels (depends on how many you install on your home).
Solar Panel Count to Fully Charge Popular EVs
| Company | Model | Number Of Panels Required: Massachusetts | Number Of Panels Required: California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian | R1S | 14 | 10 |
| Tesla | Model X | 11 | 8 |
| Ford | F-150 Lightning Pro | 15 | 11 |
| Audi | Q4 e-tron | 11 | 8 |
| Hyundai | Ioniq 5 SE | 10 | 7 |
| Tesla | Model Y | 9 | 7 |
| Volkswagen | ID.4 | 10 | 7 |
| Nissan | LEAF S | 10 | 7 |
What are the advantages of charging an EV with solar panels?
The switch to electric driving, in and of itself, is beneficial. Sweeter still is the financial and environmental benefits of charging your EV with solar panels takes it one step further.
Solar charging slashes your electricity bill even more
In many instances, powering an EV from grid-produced electricity is already cheaper than filling up a gas car. But couple your EV with solar panels and you could make even deeper savings still. When you power your EV with a home solar energy system, you can eliminate your fuel costs altogether.
Using solar to charge your EV reduces your carbon footprint
Avoiding charging your EV when grid-produced electricity is used is constructive whenever you can. The U.S. grid is cleaner, but fossil fuels are still part of the mix. Charging your EV with renewable energy lowers your need for utility energy, reduces your carbon footprint and leads to better air quality.
Conclusion
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Related Reference
Solar Energy Data – EnergySage
Solar production ratio by state by EnergySage Marketing – Infogram
