Why do new cars not have small solar panels built in standard to keep the battery charged?
There's not really an engineering need for it on non-electric cars, and any car-sized solar panel would be far too small to provide a significant change for an electric car. There is a example of a hybrid car with a solar panel, the Fiskar Karma, and the solar panel was pretty universally panned …
The Short Answer
There's not really an engineering need for it on non-electric cars, and any car-sized solar panel would be far too small to provide a significant change for an electric car. There is a example of a hybrid car with a solar panel, the Fiskar Karma, and the solar panel was pretty universally panned as a useless gimmick that make the car expensive and uneconomical. Edit: here's an article about that car (it was rebranded apparently, but as the first sentence points out, still the same car) _URL_0_
Analysis
Key Concepts: Solar, panel, there's
This explanation focuses on solar, panel, there's and spans 87 words across 3 sentences. At 28% above the average Space & Astronomy explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “There's not really an engineering need for it on non-electric cars, and any car-sized solar panel would be far too small” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 3 connected points.
How This Compares in Space & Astronomy
Ranked #143 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by answer depth (top 29%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why new cars not have small solar panels built in standard to keep the battery charged?
There's not really an engineering need for it on non-electric cars, and any car-sized solar panel would be far too small to provide a significant change for an electric car. There is a example of a hybrid car with a solar panel, the Fiskar Karma,…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Space & Astronomy questions?
This is an above-average answer at 87 words, ranked #143 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by depth. The key concepts covered are solar, panel, there's.
What approach does this answer take to explain new cars not have small solar panels built in standard to ke?
The explanation uses concrete examples and contrasting perspectives across 87 words. It is categorized under Space & Astronomy and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.