[reeckoh]

Of course solar panels cannot provide enough power to drive a car for any significant distance, but that doesn't make them useless.

I know, because I put solar panels on an ICE car's roof several years ago. They charged a recreation battery in the boot, which I used to charge my phone, headlamp, camp lights, laptop, radio, smaller power bricks...

Fantastic for camping, and it lets you jump-start your own car.

The article's prices are for first-party solutions; I paid $2/W and it's been zero maintenance over highways, bumpy tracks, heat, car washes, and frost. Using amorphous cells instead of monocrystalline can net you a bit of energy on cloud/rainy days too, even if they are less efficient in bright sunlight.

If you have roof rails or a pickup canopy, give it a try. The hardest part is finding a way to get the wires into the interior. Don't forget some soft cushioning washers in the mounting nuts and bolts.

[grecy]

I have two 100W panels on top of the Jeep I drove around Africa for three years. They charge a secondary battery and run the fridge, the water pump and UV Filter, camping / interior lights, all my chargers and laptop charging. [1]

I also had a 100W Panel on the vehicle I just drove around Australia for 18 months.

In both cases, I'd say they were essential

[1] theroadchoseme.com/the-jeep