Model 3

Make
Tesla
Segment
Sedan

Electric cars have come a long way in the past decade. Ten years ago, when you thought of electric power in a car, you'd likely only think about the hybrid Toyota Prius. Nowadays, Tesla has made electric cars both accessible and usable in the real world. Still, the concerns about range and charging stations remain, despite many more charging stations across the country. This has led to some pretty ridiculous stunts, including one where some people decided to find out how many cyclists it would take to charge a Tesla. Tesla has promised million-mile batteries, but what if you can't wait? Having previously attached a wind turbine to his car, YouTuber ItsYeBoi has now added a mobile solar charging station to his Model 3.

After purchasing flexible solar panels, batteries, cabling, and regulators, a frame was made from window frames and attached to a trailer. This would then be attached to the car, creating a mobile charging station - in theory at least. However, his Model 3 doesn't have a proper towbar, and the homemade contraption that this chap - real name Sean Callaghan - has put together looks like a serious accident waiting to happen. Nevertheless, even with plenty of cloud cover, the Tesla eventually started charging.

However, by Sean's calculation, it would take 10 days of 10 hours' worth of good sunlight each to fully charge the Model 3 from empty. Considering that the trailer alone cost Sean $3,000 and isn't even legal, we think we'd rather stick with a traditional socket setup, and we're starting to see charging stations that are solar powered anyway. It just seems a lot safer, quicker, and more convenient. Still, we applaud Sean for his efforts and innovation, even if it's not practical in the real world. Until manufacturers like Audi and others start providing a way to harness the sun's energy, we're still reliant on traditional sources of electricity.