Flexible Solar Panels on roof?more MPG?

We did the math on this idea in a previous thread awhile back. It's not going to make much of a difference most of the time, but I thought it was worthwhile for the benefit it provides, albeit small.

 

...my thought was maybe one use of solar for MPG would be to heat up engine block overnite.
I have some spare solar panels, so I was thinking charge a battery in the garage and have a lower wattage heat source come on under the car at a set time. Of course you are in CA but maybe warmer engine helps. The other thing I think about is heating car inside so its warmer inside, again thinking cooler climates. I'm going think about doing some of those things this winter, and measuring temps with and without to see if it helps at all.

It's whole nother issue if I actually do it, Iam just thinking about it.

 

These are 12 volt panels, which would charge the aux battery. Working out some 220 volt panels to charge the HV battery would be interesting. The higher voltage panels are available as they are used in direct, back-fed line charging. The cost analysis is, no doubt, not favorable. That is called a hobby....

 

Not sure these panels are effective or not.. I think they are bit expensive with little efficiency..

 

they work great for those solar racers, maybe they have different voltage motors?