How Many Solar Panels Would I Need for My EV?

You want to go all-in on energy efficiency with an electric vehicle (EV) and solar panels, but you’re not sure how many solar panels you need in order to charge your EV at home. If you don’t want to rely on public charging stations which could cost you significantly more than just investing in your own solar panels, the experts at Solar Bear Dallas can show you how to set up your house for the most optimal EV experience.

Kilowatt Usage and Electric Vehicles

Your EV needs kilowatts, or kWh, but what does that mean when it comes to the finer details? On average, a typical EV needs around 10 kWh for every 40 miles of range. Of course, each vehicle is slightly different in the same way that various gas-powered vehicles come with comparable mileage ratings.

EV Model	kWh Needed for 40 Miles
Nissan Leaf	12
Chevrolet Volt	11.6
Hyundai Kona	11.2
Tesla Model Y	10.4
Hyundai IONIQ 5	10

The Perfect Solar Panel Setup

Now that you have an idea of how much kWh you need in order to charge your EV, how do solar panels come into play? An average solar panel can give you around 1.75 kWh a day, so if you need roughly 10 kWh to charge your EV, that would be about 6 solar panels. If you drive more than 40 miles a day on average, a better recommendation would be 10 solar panels to ensure a longer range on a single charge.

Tallying Up the Savings

Gas vehicle owners use an average of 450 gallons of gasoline a year which can equal roughly $1,575 with the recent increase in fuel prices. Switching over to an EV will be cheaper than buying gas no matter how you charge it, but you can squeeze out even more savings with an at-home solar panel setup. You could charge your EV off grid power, but that can cost you up to 40 cents per kWh depending on your exact location. For comparison, it only takes around 11 cents or less to generate a kWh with a solar panel. Although public chargers are becoming more available by the year, relying solely on those stations to charge your vehicle could cost you almost as much as gas.

How to Equip Your Home with Solar Panels

Because of the dangers that come with walking around on the roof, it’s always best to leave solar installation to the professionals. Even if you manage to hook it up yourself, it takes specific knowledge and skills to connect those panels to your EV charging setup. To ensure the cleanest, hassle-free installation, contact your local solar panel contractors for the job.

Let Solar Bear Dallas Hook You Up!

If you’re ready to get into the all-electric and energy-efficient lifestyle, Solar Bear Dallas is the place to go for all of your solar panel needs! We have the best contractors on staff to handle any task including setting up your home for EV charging. Call us today to receive a free estimate!