Tesla had an interesting new product on display at IdeenExpo (Hannover, Germany), a technology and science expo event for getting younger generations involved in the future of what’s to come. This device was a trailer attachment that could be hauled by a vehicle (preferably a Tesla, obviously) and is capable of expanding outward to reveal multiple solar panels. It was a Solar Range Extender.
A pretty neat idea if it works, and it could provide extended range to vehicles during multi-day trips where charging is limited. The only catch is that it would be limited to situations where you would stop to camp for a few days somewhere as it would likely be much less of a charge than plugging in.
It possibly could also make for a power solution for camp sites, providing power to other devices outside of the vehicle. Providing enough power for general entertainment, lights, or cooking. Not to mention use-case scenarios where power could be deployed to smaller-scale emergency situations.
The trailer comes with a Starlink dish, which would provide internet connectivity to anything it is connected to. If it was meant for extending the range of Tesla vehicles, then this could be related to the recent approval Starlink received from the FCC , allowing it to be used while in motion. If not for vehicles, then for providing connectivity for camp sites and emergency situations all the same.
There is no straight confirmation on if this will become a purchasable product any time soon, if at all. The company was simply showing it off at an expo related to ideas of the future. Therefore, it could be no more than a conceptual idea of how solar could be deployed in any given situation. Possibly a taste of things to come now that companies like Lightyear are starting to push forward with integrating solar into EV vehicles.
