Trucks With Onboard Solar Are Becoming A Thing
Every time I write about solar vehicles, I get the same thing from people in the comments and on social media, like:
“That’s a stupid gimmick that’ll add like a mile a day.”
“What a joke. That can’t even run the air conditioning.”
While these statements have been true for decades, solar technology and EV efficiency have slowly been chipping away at the problem. Now, vehicles like the “never charge” Aptera and the Sono Sion are proving that solar can power at least a good chunk of people’s driving — but can it work for larger vehicles?
The answer isn’t a hard “No” like it once was. The amount of “Yes” is on the rise, even for people who don’t want to drive a “clown truck.”
Sono and ARI Light Delivery Truck
The Sono/ARI 458 Box Truck with solar. Image provided by Sono Motors.
Earlier this month, Sono Motors worked with ARI to add solar to a 458 “Box Body” truck. While not a full-sized truck, or even a normal-sized truck, it’s still an incredibly useful little beast. In cities, at airports, or just for the last mile of package delivery, the 458 Box Body can carry almost 1200 pounds (531 kg) and up to 2.8 cubic meters (about 100 cubic feet) of cargo. It can go a maximum of 80 km/h (about 50 MPH) and has a range of 75–300 miles on a charge.
At full throttle, the 458 Box Truck uses only 7.5 kW of electric power, but most driving would be with far less current. So, it’s really an ideal platform to experiment with solar drive power.
Sono took the stock 458 Box Truck and added solar modules made with ultra-thin, chemically-stressed front glass to provide up to 450 watts of energy at peak performance. Under normal conditions in Munich, they figure that it will add 20 km of range daily without plugging in, and up to 45 km of range under more ideal conditions like you’d find in the US Southwest.
Sono and ARI team works to add solar to the 458 Box Truck. Image provided by Sono Motors.
“Sono Solar — Sono Motors’ B2B unit — is a one-stop-shop for vehicle integrated photovoltaics (ViPV) and our aim is to make every vehicle a solar vehicle. The Intersolar exhibition is the perfect platform to show our proprietary technology and services and we are very pleased to be able to present existing partnerships and prototypes like the electric ARI transporter,” says Mathieu Baudrit, Sono Solar Group Lead at Sono Motors.
Fraunhofer Is Testing A Larger Solar Truck
When it comes to cargo trucks, Justin Hammer was right. Size does matter. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. In ‘Murica, we need a big 9,000 pound truck just to go to the store and buy kitty litter. Don’t believe me? Ask GM about the Hummer EV. Clown cars like the 458 Box Truck might be useful for the city parks and recreation department to drive around the baseball fields, or for the airport to stuff tiny meals into planes with, but don’t expect to see them on the road.
When it comes to doing a real man’s man work, we want to be like Rubber Duck in the 1978 movie Convoy. “My daddy always told me to be like a duck. Stay smooth on the surface and paddle like the devil underneath!” If we can’t push 80,000 lb down the road while strung out on caffeine and modafinil (among other things) while eating an echo-modded radio microphone and saying “Breaker one nine!” on 27.185 MHz AM with an illegal 600-watt linear amplifier that makes the lights go dim when you key it up, it’s just not good enough.
I’m kidding about most of the above, of course. While the Hummer EV does weigh in at 9,000 pounds, and we really do love our big vehicles, almost nobody even knows what most of the last paragraph even means. You’ll just have to watch the YouTube video and hang out at truck stops a little more to see if I’m making stuff up.
Many reasonable, sane people who wouldn’t ram the New Mexico State Police or the Illinois National Guard out of the way, and who want to carry cargo for an honest living, do really need a larger vehicle than the 458 Box Truck. Where’s the solar panel for us “Rubber Ducks?”
Image provided by Fraunhofer.
Fortunately, the industry is working on giving even the biggest trucks some juice from the giant thermonuclear fireball in the sky. Fraunhofer has an electric truck driving on German roads right now with 3500 watts of solar power on the trailer. Sure, it’s no 18-wheeler, but 18 tons GVWR is nothing to sneeze at either. The 3.5 kilowatts of power only takes care of 5–10 percent of the electric truck’s energy needs.
“By successfully putting our high-voltage photovoltaic system into operation, we have achieved our goal of demonstrating the feasibility of vehicle-integrated photovoltaics for heavy-duty electric utility vehicles. The technical components integrated into the truck function as we expected,” said Christoph Kutter, project manager at Fraunhofer ISE.
There is one small safety risk, though. To directly charge the truck’s traction battery, the panels are wired in series, and put out that 3500 watts of power at over 400 volts. In the event of an accident, that’s a lot of juice to be randomly flipping around in the face of emergency workers and good Samaritan types. Fraunhofer thought ahead and installed an automatic disconnect that cuts every solar panel off from the whole system, reducing the voltage down to safe levels.
Feeding 5–10% of the vehicle’s needs from solar might seem sort of silly, but Fraunhofer plans to run the truck hauling real loads for a year on German roads to collect data. By collecting the data on how much solar power ends up being generated, used, and replaced, they can get a much better idea of how to build better solar vehicles in the future as the technology improves.
After all, solar panels are getting better all the time, and it will eventually be possible to take care of a significant portion of the truck’s power. Plus, trucks operating in cities and trucks that spend a lot of time sitting during the day will benefit even more from this technology.
So, fear not, Rubber Ducks. The power of the sun will soon be yours!
Featured image provided by Fraunhofer.
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Porsche is rolling out three new Taycan Black Edition models. The 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition brings more than just a sporty new look. All three are equipped with Porsche’s Performance Battery Plus, delivering more power and a longer driving range.
Meet the 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition
With the new electric Macan stealing the show, Porsche is introducing new Taycan variants for the 2026 model year.
Porsche has already introduced significant upgrades for the 2025 model year, adding more driving range, faster charging, higher performance, and a sleek new design.
The new Black Edition variants will be available for the 2026 Porsche Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S models.
Featuring its SportDesign package, the new models include high-gloss black exterior accents on the window trims and mirrors.
Other standard design elements include a rear light strip with an illuminated, blacked-out Porsche logo. Inside, the new variants include Porsche’s black interior accent package, storage package, and black brushed illuminated door sill guards.
All three Black Edition models are equipped with the larger Performance Battery Plus, which is typically offered as an option.
With a gross energy capacity of 105 kWh, Porsche says the new variants offer a longer driving range and more power. The 2025 Taycan, with the Performance Battery Plus pack, offers an EPA-estimated range of 318 miles.
On the European WLTP scale, the 2025 Porsche Taycan with the Performance Plus battery is rated with up to 679 km (421 miles) range.
The new Black Edition models are loaded with added features. Highlights include Lane Change Assist, Surround View, including Active Parking Assist, 21″ wheels with center caps featuring the full-color Porsche crest, and HD-Matrix Design LED headlights. There are even puddle light projectors that show the Porsche logo when the doors open.
On the inside, the premium features continue. The Black Edition interior features 14-way comfort seats with a memory function, a Porsche crest on the headrests, and a BOSE Surround Sound System, including Dolby Atmos, to create an immersive sound experience.
You’ll also get Porsche Electric Sport Sound, a Storage package, and the Porsche crest stitched into the leather trim. To top it off, there’s an added “Black Edition” badge in the center console, exclusive to the new variants.
Although it’s called the Black Edition, you can choose from several different colors, such as Jet Black Metallic, Volcano Grey Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic, and Ice Grey Metallic, at no extra cost.
Porsche will reveal prices for the 2026 Taycan Black Edition models “in due course.” Deliveries in the US are expected to begin in Fall 2025.
What do you think of the new blacked-out Taycan variants? Do you dig it? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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Aventon is giving its popular fat tire e-bike a serious upgrade. The company just unveiled the Aventure M, a new mid-drive version of its best-selling Aventure model. With more torque, smarter shifting, and a boost in connectivity and control, Aventon says this is the “most advanced” bike it has ever produced.
The new Aventure M swaps out the rear hub motor for a 100 Nm mid-drive motor, offering more efficient power delivery and a more natural ride feel thanks to its double-sided torque sensor. And in case that 100 Nm doesn’t exactly place it for you, just know that we’re talking about more power (or more accurately, torque) than nearly any other e-bike in this class.
The Aventon A100 motor, which is rated at 750W and runs on a 36V system, takes full advantage of its Class 3 category with pedal assist speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h) and a throttle top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). The throttle is sold separately, probably as a nod to being even more compliant with California’s new stricter laws regarding Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes, which can’t have mounted throttles.
Aventon also gives riders the option to set the bike to Class 1 or 2 limits using the companion app. We’ve always been pretty impressed with Aventon’s app, as it’s quite easy to use and makes it simple to control those types of modifications to the bike.
That app pairs with Aventon’s newly developed ACU (Aventon Control Unit), a custom IoT system that adds a wide range of smart features. Riders get GPS tracking, theft detection, geofencing, remote locking, and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. Aventon even built in a passcode-locked on-switch for added security, as well as a physical rear-wheel lock and alarm.
We’ve previously seen Aventon use that OTA update system to give its e-bike more power via a boost feature, so the company doesn’t appear shy about pushing out new features when they’re ready.
But it’s not just about motor placement and connectivity. The Aventure M introduces electronic shifting, powered by a 10-speed Shimano CUES drivetrain and paddle shifters. Riders can shift manually or let the system take over with Auto Shift, Aventon’s torque and cadence-sensing automatic shifting mode. A new Uphill Start Assist feature gives riders an extra torque boost when starting from a stop on steep grades –perfect for off-road adventures or fully loaded cargo rides.
As for range, Aventon claims up to 85 miles (137 km) from the removable 36V 20Ah (720 Wh) battery, which itself weighs around 8.7 lbs (3.9 kg). That figure is in the lowest power level, and real-world range will depend heavily on terrain and assist level, but riders can likely expect something in the 40–60 mile (65-100 km) ballpark under typical pedaling usage when enjoying moderately higher power levels, and a bit less if leaning hard into that optional throttle.
Rounding out the build are 4-inch wide fat tires, a suspension seatpost, and an 80 mm front suspension fork. The total weight of the bike is around 73 lbs (33 kg), which is actually surprisingly reasonable for a full-featured fat tire e-bike with a mid-drive, believe it or not. Hey, these are heavy bikes when you stuff all that power, range, and tech in there.
The price at launch is US $2,899, which places the Aventure M above the hub motor version of the company’s existing Aventure model but below some other mid-drive fat tire options on the market. Aventon is clearly positioning this as a higher-performance alternative that’s still (hopefully) accessible to the average rider. It’s available now online and through Aventon’s network of over 1,800 partner dealers across the U.S.
Electrek’s Take
It’s about time we saw a major direct-to-consumer brand bring a smart tech, mid-drive fat tire e-bike to market that doesn’t require taking out a second mortgage. The Aventure M feels like a natural progression for Aventon – taking what made the Aventure 2 so popular and layering on meaningful performance and tech upgrades. The mid-drive motor brings real climbing power and smoother pedal assist, and features like auto shifting and built-in GPS tracking give this bike some serious smart credentials.
Of course, at nearly $3,000, this isn’t exactly budget territory anymore. But considering the Aventure M includes high-end components, a full-fat-tire adventure build, and an impressive level of integration, it still looks like a solid value for someone who wants their e-bike to go above and beyond the basic level of componentry and features. If the real-world range holds up and the automatic shifting works smoothly, this could easily become a category leader for anyone wanting an all-terrain e-bike that feels as refined as it is rugged. Aventon of course didn’t reinvent the wheel here — they just made a smarter, better one. I look forward to getting on one soon for a review and letting you know what I think of the ride.
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