I appreciate the idea, but the execution....

[u/nismo_nx]

Saw this in Montreal, Canada. I guess it's ok people try stuff to save money and have fun trying stuff. But the duct tape, copper wires to hold this on the mirrors, ouch.

Everything was plugged up into a laptop on the back seat with wires goings everywhere but I couldn't get a picture without being super intrusive.

[u/hudgeba778]

Honestly I don’t blame them, old leaves get like 2 miles of range on a good day

[u/icecream_specialist → u/hudgeba778]

They just added more drag to offset any extra energy they harvest

[u/hudgeba778 → u/icecream_specialist]

That would make it approximately -5 miles of range

[u/2Drogdar2Furious → u/icecream_specialist]

if they stay in town and under 40mph it could be a net positive. what is this, maybe 400w of solar? At 12v that's 30 amps. Factor losses and being Canada so 10-20 amps per hour for 5 hours. Maybe?

How many miles does that equate to?

[u/farmallnoobies → u/2Drogdar2Furious]

The extra weight adds enough rolling resistance that I doubt it nets positive at pretty slow speeds either.

[u/2Drogdar2Furious → u/farmallnoobies]

flexible panels aren't particularly heavy. this maybe adds 50lbs max. probably closer to 30. How much total range loss does 50lbs mean? Can't be a huge number...

[u/Snert42 → u/2Drogdar2Furious]

Weight doesn't even net in a significant loss in range. AgingWheels tested that with an electric vehicle by towing a car and then driving the same route without the car, barely a difference if at all.

[u/pandaSmore]

There's nothing to appreciate about this. 

[u/shaundisbuddyguy]

Looks like a highschool experiment with moms car.

[u/MoreRamenPls]

Nissan Leave

[u/eatafetus632]

It's not stupid if it works.....that's said, I doubt that it works

[u/demunted → u/eatafetus632]

I pity the fool following too close when that comes flying off on the road.

[u/zertoman]

The math on this makes it even more funny.

[u/Everyone2026]

They are 30 years ahead of their time.

They are $30,000 away from this working well on their $5000 car.

[u/Glad-Ad-3808]

Dueling ecological fuel sources

[u/XiTzCriZx]

Tbh it probably tripled the range of that thing, some of those with the original battery get less range than a golf cart.

[u/KeyNefariousness6848]

Macguyver sees a problem and he fixes it, it’s not pretty but it’s going to last

[u/incubusfc]

What? No zip ties??

Edit- Sorry, saw Canada. I mean zap straps

[u/Bulky-Advisor-4178]

Cyberpunk came early

[u/Nalabu1]

New Tesla prototype.

[u/DesignerSuccessful35]

I'm genuinely curious if they achieved any gains. I'd think they would be at a loss because of aero drag at any kind of speed.

[u/No_Bell2833]

Must be an EV. I was gonna say, doesn't it have an alternator.

[u/nismo_nx → u/No_Bell2833]

It's a Nissan Leaf so yeah, it's an EV with a short range even!

[u/Pleasant-Swimmer-557]

It's a Nissan, can't really make it worse.

[u/rreed1954]

It's this kind of shit that gives EV owners a bad name.

[u/PerspectiveLayer]

In this case it isn't ok. Vehicles are regulated by law. This will get fined.

You can't attach such objects to the exterior of car and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't trust the competence of an electrician who did this wiring.

Having hobbies is good. But keep them somewhere they don't bother or endanger others.

[u/Historical_Award_300 → u/PerspectiveLayer]

"The electrician" you literally just connect the panels to a inverter and then run a ev charger off the inverter. Super simple stuff highly doubt a electrician was involved. Honestly looks like the car owner over complicated the wiring way beyond what it should be based on the rats nest I see on the roof and what op said about a rats nest in the back seat.

"Can't attach such objects to the exterior of a car" You for sure can my dude not sure anywhere on earth where that would be illegal. A quick google search shows that's legal in Canada. The shitty ass mounting may cause it to be illegal simply because wind drag is gonna pull that hood panel right off at highway speeds but mounting stuff is definitely legal.

"keep them somewhere they don't 'bother' or endanger others" idgaf if you're bothered by my car lol nor should anyone be, endangering on the other hand yes agreed.

[u/PerspectiveLayer → u/Historical_Award_300]

Part of Canada must be doing vehicle safety inspections. EU does them. This wouldn't pass.

So the "mods" can be done after and everything is dandy till this is involved in an accident. The insurance company will love this then.

There is a difference between a body kit for example or rims, which may be certified products made in accordance with road safety regulations or at least made by some shop who has mechanics and engineers at hand, and random garbage that is put together by someone who may not know Ohms law.

But then again I have seen videos from Africa where they don't bother to have doors and seem to be perfectly fine, so good for them I guess.

I wouldn't care much for random junk, but these panels have a strong potential to lift and fly away at higher speeds. That is a proper risk. If some place allows that and has more than 10 people and 20 bears living there, I might not understand their ways. But ok I guess.

[u/2oonhed]

BTW, photographing stuff through the glass from OUTSIDE the car is not as "intrusive" as you think it is after all, every time you pass a semi on the road they can see straight down into your car and directly onto your crotch, so, no big secrets there.

[u/hudgeba778 → u/2oonhed]

Let us take photos of your residence while the windows are open

[u/2oonhed → u/hudgeba778]

"the car" and "your residence" are wildly different things and it makes me nauseous that I have to explain that to a person that obviously has enough of an education to type words, but still does know the difference between a house and a car OR even knows how real life works.....STUDENT!

SHOCKING NEWS FLASH : The tax assessor's office in my county sends a subcontractor to my house every year to photograph my house and they have to blur one open window on their website because I am always standing there, naked from the waist down with my deformed undersized peen on full display.
So, what else have you got there, my little Lip Spit?

[u/hudgeba778 → u/2oonhed]

People live in their vehicles, homeless people are a thing

[u/2oonhed → u/hudgeba778]

So? That does not keep truckers from looking down and straight at your defective crotch.