Photo voltaic Cannonball Try Is Going Sluggish, However Future Ones Will Be Quicker

If you happen to’ve heard of the Cannonball Run, you’re in all probability both pondering of the 1981 movie or the real-world data folks have set driving from New York to Los Angeles. As of this writing, the quickest run I’m conscious of was executed in 25 hours and 39 minutes, with a median velocity of 125 miles per hour. In different phrases, the phrases “sluggish” and “Cannonball” usually don’t belong in the identical sentence, and doubtless not in the identical paragraph, proper?

However, it’s essential to remember that there are different kinds of Cannonball runs. The outright velocity file decisively belongs to ICE proper now, however as a result of the all-out file is unofficial (and unlawful to beat), there are additionally different unofficial variants for the file being set. Electrical Cannonball data present us how briskly an EV can get from the Pink Ball Storage to Portofino Resort and Marina. Different variants embrace the Diesel Cannonball, Double Transcontinental (NY to LA to NY), Bike Cannonball, and Semi-Autonomous.

Principally, anyone can invent a brand new class of Cannonball and set a file for others to show round and beat. Authorized challenges, just like the max MPG runs throughout the nation, might be sanctioned by somebody like Guinness, however outlaw velocity runs are one thing even they gained’t contact.

A comparatively new class of Cannonball is the Photo voltaic Cannonball, or as one group named it, the “Cannonball Solar.” The primary try I’m conscious of to set an preliminary NY to LA file constructed a customized photo voltaic automobile that’s fairly just like one you’d see at a college photo voltaic automobile competitors. Their run try led to mechanical and digital failure in summer season 2021. The car died in Indiana, nonetheless over 2,000 miles from the end line.

However, one other EV fanatic current determined to take the problem on utilizing a very completely different method in a traditional manufacturing EV.

As an alternative of constructing a college science vessel, Joe Kliewer determined to take the problem on in a Tesla Mannequin Y. In contrast to the final crew, he’s very more likely to really end the problem, however in all probability quite a bit slower than a customized photo voltaic car would. He added a 5 kWh battery pack into the trunk, which he prices with 6.4 kilowatts of transportable, light-weight photo voltaic panels. This 5 kWh buffer pack then prices the Mannequin Y by a traditional transportable EVSE.

You may be taught extra about his setup at a video Munro Stay made in regards to the journey.

His plan is to cost up on photo voltaic (so long as it takes, he estimates two days), drive to the subsequent cease, after which set the photo voltaic panels again up for an additional cost. His plan is to camp on the websites whereas the automobiles prices from the solar. He estimates it will take him 20 days.

Right here’s a video the place he goes by his first day’s run: (article continues after video)

Like all good Cannonball runs, it begins on the Pink Ball Storage. He explains that he thought the story of Alex Roy’s cannonball run was a fictional story at first, however found out half manner by the guide that it was a real story. So, that obtained his creativeness going, which finally led to this.

He left late at night time so he may go sluggish in New York and different japanese states. The purpose was to go to Shenandoah Nationwide Park in Virginia on the primary night time, going a complete of 330 miles on the primary cost. He determined to keep away from utilizing Autopilot or FSD Beta to decrease power consumption, however did a mixture of them alongside the best way to make driving at comparatively sluggish speeds simpler.

In the long run, he fell somewhat in need of with the ability to make it to the campground, however he used the car’s buffer battery (which he charged forward of the journey) to get just a few extra p.c to make it over the past hill and get to the campground. He added 5% to the battery, and made it.

I’ve reached out to Joe to see if he made it to cease #2 or #3 but (he seems to have struck camp on Friday), and can do some followup articles because the journey continues. Hopefully we’ll get some extra detailed data. So, be at liberty to let me know what you’d wish to know within the feedback in regards to the journey.

My Ideas On This

His plan looks as if a reasonably strong one, however because the previous saying goes, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” With solar energy like this, any variety of issues can go improper, and he’s already seeing that. Clouds, surprising shade from vegetation, wind issues, and surprising power use on legs of the journey can all add as much as delays. On a visit that’s already anticipated to take 20 days in good situations, the journey may simply take 30+ days with sufficient small issues.

One other essential factor I seen right here is that he seems to be counting on Tesla’s built-in journey planning software program. When you’ve in all probability seen me bag on Tesla and its eccentric Technoprince or no matter he identifies as nowadays, one factor I can’t dispute is that Tesla does a superb job with journey planning software program. However, nearly as good as this software program is, it wasn’t designed for going uncommon speeds with unusually heavy hundreds with out using the Supercharger community. So, he’s clearly struggling as he tries to press Tesla’s software program into service planning legs of this journey.

So, I’ve advisable that he tries to make use of A Higher Routeplanner (ABRP) for this uncommon activity. It permits you to set speeds, think about uncommon additional weight, and even construct a customized power use profile primarily based on actual driving information to foretell future journeys (reference determine). I feel that if he had used ABRP, he would have had a better time getting the primary leg accomplished while not having to depend on his buffer battery for the previous couple of miles.

If he has the persistence and endurance to complete this journey out, the 20-something day file will probably hold getting damaged. Extra environment friendly automobiles, bigger photo voltaic arrays, and even charge-while-driving automobiles just like the Aptera will in all probability minimize the time down significantly over the subsequent couple of years. Later, as photo voltaic know-how improves, we’re more likely to see even sooner occasions.

This would possibly appear to be a foolish train, however it could possibly assist drive technological development within the business. Setting data results in folks figuring issues out that they in any other case wouldn’t have. For instance, journeys to the moon didn’t instantly profit life for folks on the bottom, however the applied sciences invented to get there result in the whole lot from sun shades to insulin pumps, so anticipate this new problem to drive a minimum of somewhat little bit of innovation and alter within the business.

Featured picture: screenshot from the embedded YouTube video, by Joe Kliewer.