a solar EV

Yes, you can charge an EV with solar

a solar EV in front of a garage with solar panels
My 2020 Chevy Bolt parked in front of the solar system that fuels it. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]

Charging your EV with home solar is a three-step process ==>

  1. Install a solar system on your home or in your yard.
  2. Buy an EV or PHEV.
  3. Plug it in.

OK, weā€™re oversimplifying a bit. First of all, you can buy the EV first šŸ˜‰, or, as I do, you can lease an EV!

Second, solar systems cost money, significant money ā€” though, over time, they are an investment that always more than pays for itself, and they do so much more quickly if you’re using your home solar system as a solar gas station!

Like any new technologies, EVs and PHEVs have been more expensive, up front, on average, than comparable gas vehicles. But this state of affairs has been changing rapidly, especially in the last two to three years.



Here in Colorado, where there are substantial tax credits of $5,000 for a purchased new EV and $2,500 for a new leased EV, I am paying just $289 per month with ZERO money down to drive a 2020 Chevy Bolt and I get 12,000 miles of driving per year for that. That is about HALF of what the average new car monthly payment is in the United States right now!

In running an electric vehicle on sun, one needs to take into account that an EV will use no gasoline at all, and that electricity, whether generated by solar or coal, is a far cheaper way to fuel a car than with gasoline ā€” right now, about three-times cheaper. This EV fuel cost advantage is with gas prices (in the U.S.) comparatively low. And thereā€™s little doubt that gasoline prices will rise over time.

In short, it is relatively easy — and extremely cost effective — to charge an EV with solar!

Happy Sun MilesĀ®!