# Solar charging an EV (w/ limited solar) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301 "2026-03-08T17:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/21 "2026-03-09T18:48:17Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > (which also makes an EV economically “unviable”, compared to a regular ICE) Why? If I had one I could use my car _without paying for gas at all_ The problem is that I got my car used for 10 thousand USD , (A 2013 WV Bora), we are still at least a decade from getting an used EV for that price (at least here in the Deep DEEP South) ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/22 "2026-03-09T19:03:58Z")
I guess you - somewhat - answered your own Q. EVs are so much more expensive compared to ICE-brethrens … that a low rate of use will never pay you back the premium you paid, even if gas is free. Locally the Yaris sedan is 12k euros and the HEV is 20k euros (75% more expensive) … you get a heck of a lot of gas for 8k euros … (and I assume the H in EV makes maintainance not cheaper, but more expensive as you have to service 2 systems). I do - however - have some hope that ~~“ **Iran** ”~~ DJT will help shoot gas-prices up to 5+ per gallon, generating a huge panic-push in the market towards EVs - so huge and beautiful - it will be able to shift beyond trump and his anti-EV-stupidity. So in an ironic way, DJT might be the best thing that happened to the advancement of the global EV market. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/23 "2026-03-09T19:07:30Z")
Oh, right you are. But EVs are getting cheaper al the time, so may be in 10, 15 years…(dreams smiling) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/24 "2026-03-09T19:41:49Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > we are still at least a decade from getting an used EV for that price In the US, there are a few older used EVs for under $10k, e.g. at [Edmunds](https://www.edmunds.com/inventory/srp.html?engineType=electric&inventorytype=used%2Ccpo&price=2000-10000&radius=500) and [Carmax](https://www.carmax.com/cars/electric?price=10000). They’ll usually ship anywhere in the country for an additional $1000-$2000. And if the Chinese tariffs are ever lifted, there would be a flood of cheaper EVs from China too (they’re killing it all around the rest of the world; see our other threads for that like [Should we Import Chinese Electric Vehicles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-import-chinese-electric-vehicles/1008622)) > [@Al128](#): > > EVs are so much more expensive compared to ICE-brethrens If you’re in Europe, don’t you have access to the Chinese imports and maybe subsidized EV purchase programs? BEVs also depreciate a lot faster than ICE or HEV cars, at least in the US, meaning you can find off-lease cars at pretty reasonable prices or much older ones (with less range) for quite a bit lower. If your commute is short and you don’t need them for road trips, even an older one might work fine? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/25 "2026-03-09T19:43:45Z")
We gotten our sons a refinished 2017 Chevy Bolt for under $20,000. It has about 2/3 the range of my Ionic 6, but it’s perfect as a commuter car. It’ll charge up overnight on a Level 1 charger. My only complaint is that its DC fast charge is limited to 50kW. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/26 "2026-03-09T19:44:40Z")
I have to pitch this little guy any chance I get 😃 > **[Stellantis confirms tiny Fiat Topolino EV will launch in US market](https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2025/12/11/fiat-stellantis-topolino-ev-cruiser/87717261007/)** > > The Topolino – which is Italian for "Little Mouse" – is a 99-inch, 8-horsepower EV sold in Europe and South America. Now it's coming stateside. An $11k mini-electric car-golf-cart thing with a 5 kWh battery (which is like 7% of a usual BEV’s battery). I saw quite a few of them in Florence, Italy and they were… gorgeous 😍 Would probably be instant death if you ever ever hit by a pickup truck, though. Or really any other SUV or car. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/27 "2026-03-09T20:18:15Z")
That brings to mind an ancient science fiction story, where a guy invents e-books twenty years before they exist, and publishing CEOs hire a mafia hit man to make the problem go away. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/28 "2026-03-09T20:25:07Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > a guy invents e-books twenty years before they exist, and publishing CEOs hire a mafia hit man to make the problem go away. If only the guy talked to a DRM consultant first and sold the CEOs on “Books as a rental service! Even libraries have to rent multiple copies that expire after some time! Digital doesn’t have to make copying easier as long as we’re willing to screw over consumers.” I guess that’s the future of EVs too. Tesla, Waymo, Uber, Zoox, etc. are all hoping for BEV taxis. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301/29 "2026-03-09T20:54:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You should also look into L1 (120v) chargers. They’ll be capped at 12 amps or 1440v On my Bolt, when charging at L1 I can specify a maximum of 12 amps or 8 if I’m not sure the wiring will stand the stress. L2 the max is 24 amps with no options – I think. I’ve never plugged it in at L2. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-charging-an-ev-w-limited-solar/1028301.md?page=1)