The new GMC HUMMER

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Originally Posted by Jellybean

I'm actually SUPER disappointed they didn't use the pop-off roof panels for that. Make each one of those an integrated solar panel so you can charge as you drive without ever having to stop and plug in. Duh. It's an offroad vehicle. There's no electric out there. Get with the program already. Give an integrated alt charge source so the end user will actually be inspired with some confidence to take some risks with it. But like someone else already said, apparently they just want to build the next soccer-mom luxury SUV that will never leave a town...
I mean, come on... I can get a red dot with a solar alt power source, but not a truck they want me to take offroad, or rely on to drive long distances?

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This is not a dig at your idea but I don't think the technology is presently good enough to drive very far "for free" by harvesting enough sunlight.

Looking at numbers:

1 horsepower = 745.7 Watts

Today's solar panel technology claims probably about 15 Watts / sq ft. under optimum conditions.
From that, you can make a back of the envelope guess on how much sq footage you need to keep the car going.

The original HMMWV casts a shadow about 15ft x 7ft (105 sqft). If every bit of that was used for solar collection, you could get (at local noon, clear sunny day) 1575 Watts (slightly more than 2 horsepower).
The H1 had a 150 horsepower engine so even with our best panels and good weather, it takes enough solar panels to cover parking spaces for 70 H1s to drive just one H1.
Put another way, if you use the available area on the vehicle to charge a battery, you would have to charge for (at least) 70 minutes to drive one minute.

So you don't really need 150 hp all the time but say 70hp for normal running; even at 30 minutes of charge per 1 minute of drive, we are not there yet.

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Originally Posted by Wildcat

This is not a dig at your idea but I don't think the technology is presently good enough to drive very far "for free" by harvesting enough sunlight......

So you don't really need 150 hp all the time but say 70hp for normal running; even at 30 minutes of charge per 1 minute of drive, we are not there yet.

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No, I get it. I was sort of overstating it a bit because I was pissed they didn't take advantage of an obvious (and something end users would probably think is cool) idea.

What I WOULD happily settle for is that as an alt-emergency-charge source. Maybe even have a bed-cover to get a few more square feet of coverage.
IE, you and a few of your best idiot buddies drive a bit to far and can't quite make it back. Well, all you need to do is wait a day, instead of having to walk back...
Yeah, most people would likely never need to use it, and the slow charge might make it sort of useless overall.... BUT! It would have shown that they recognizer WHERE they are advertising the vehicle being used. Since it's supposed to be such a hardcore offroader and all. I mean it can crab for goodness sake, but I have no way to 'refuel' if I drive to battery depletion.

So the "charge as you drive thing" was meant more as a "store power as you drive" - maybe an emergency battery bank, or a two-part bank where it only draws from one 'side' or another at a time, unless full power was needed. I think that makes sense, right?

Makes sense and I agree it -would- be a cool idea.

On that line of thinking though, a fuel cell would be better than solar.

Any these things actually going to cost over $100,000? Lot of neat features but for $100,000 I would hope so. David

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Originally Posted by dwhitehorne

Any these things actually going to cost over $100,000? Lot of neat features but for $100,000 I would hope so. David

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Just look at the price of higherr end Tesla vehicles. It's honestly competitive if you consider its capabilities.

I say this, but my daily is a 2001 Jeep XJ and I love it.

A quick overview of some of the looks, features, etc. They don't drive it, so I'm guessing it's a dummy/mockup, but, interesting to see what they're advertising for 2021/22.
Apparently the $100k price tag is for the "loaded" model that they overview here, and others will be less. Still... not worth say, 80k for the cheaper ones. Trucks are already to goddamn expensive; 50K for a pickup is already absurd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FrnNTyOAes

Another ytvid.

https://youtu.be/Z2YLEPFa750

Doug DeMuro has a way of finding every little quirk and feature. Pretty cool IMO

The Tesla Cyber truck napkin math is ~15 Miles a day, if you've got a full sun day and park with the vault cover facing south. Its enough to limp to a near by charger, or home depot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf6WgQfL7DY

The only haters are boomers and poors.

Sorry not sorry.

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Originally Posted by scooter22

The only haters are boomers and poors.

Sorry not sorry.

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I have to agree. I cannot afford it, but I still see it as cool. Since the edition ones are all already sold out, I'm not the only one.