Tesla presents trailer for the production of solar energy

After there were not too positive things to report about Tesla in recent weeks, the company could now present a new exciting project in Germany. As part of the “IdeenExpo”, the electric car manufacturer presented a very special trailer. This has solar panels, which should be able to extend the range of Tesla’s vehicles.

Maximum range with the power of the sun

Tesla recently made rather negative headlines with its money-burning furnace in Grünheide and increased waves of layoffs in the US. Now, under the leadership of the dazzling tech visionary Elon Musk, the manufacturer is finally scoring points again with news that is in keeping with the company’s original spirit. Thus, they presented impressive new technology at the “IdeenExpo” in Hanover. This not only makes it clear that the next big step in electromobility could possibly be the better integration of solar energy. On top of that, it underscores how effective the collaboration of Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink can be – the entrepreneurial triumvirate behind which is Elon Musk himself.

Just earlier in June, we reported on Aptera, a startup that managed to raise $40 million via crowdfunding to produce its electric car. Thanks to large batteries and additional solar panels, it should be able to achieve a range of more than 1,600 kilometers. Apparently, Tesla now took this as an opportunity to also present its vision of the next big step in terms of range. Similar to Aptera, Tesla also wants to achieve more range by supporting solar energy. In Hanover, Tesla now showed a massive trailer that is supposed to provide range boosts. By the way, the Cybertruck is supposed to be different. This is to have already ex factory special solar cells, which are to provide during the journey for new energy.

A Tesla for the Pampas?

But then the trailer with solar panels does look a little strange. Some might even say that the structure looks a bit as if Tesla had screwed it together just before it was finished. This could also be supported by the fact that the company did not really specify what the trailer is supposed to be used for. A small hint for this could be the Starlink antenna, which is located on the trailer. Since satellite Internet was developed for places with poor infrastructure, perhaps the trailer could also be suitable for this area of application. After all, it is rare to find a well-developed network of charging stations in the sticks.

So perhaps Tesla wants to make its vehicles more attractive to customers in less densely populated parts of the world shortly before the release of the Cybertruck? Or perhaps the trailer is simply intended to serve as a mobile electricity station for campers. So there are still many questions to be answered. Fortunately, Tesla has already been relatively talkative about the technical data. Although we still lack exact values for the power, we already know that the trailer has a total of nine solar cells. According to the experts from Electrek, it seems to be classic modules with 300 watts each, judging by the looks. If this is the case, 80 additional kilometers should be expected with a full charge.

Details still missing

It’s exciting to see what Tesla has come up with for the IdeenExpo. However, it is not yet possible to make a real judgement about the project. There is simply too much information missing. I could certainly imagine the trailer as a mobile power source for camping. However, if “only” 80 additional kilometers of distance are possible with the electric car, I would think twice about attaching it to my Tesla. We are looking forward to more detailed information on price and, above all, performance.