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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Forget fumbling with cables or hunting for batteries – TILER is making electric bike charging as seamless as parking your ride. The Dutch startup recently introduced its much-anticipated TILER Compact system, a plug-and-play wireless charger engineered to transform the user experience for e-bike riders.
At the heart of the new system is a clever combo: a charging kickstand that mounts directly to almost any e‑bike, and a thin charging mat that you simply park over. Once you drop the kickstand and it lands on the mat, the bike begins charging automatically via inductive transfer – no cable required. According to TILER, a 500 Wh battery will fully charge in about 3.5 hours, delivering comparable performance to traditional wired chargers.
It’s an elegantly simple concept (albeit a bit chunky) with a convenient upside: less clutter, fewer broken cables, and no more need to bend over while feeling around for a dark little hole.
TILER claims its system works with about 75% of existing e‑bike platforms, including those from Bosch, Yamaha, Bafang, and other big bames. The kit uses a modest 150 W wireless power output, which means charging speeds remain practical while keeping the system lightweight (the tile weighs just 2 kg, and it’s also stationary).
TILER has already deployed over 200 charging points across Western Europe, primarily serving bike-share, delivery, hospitality, and hotel fleets. A recent case study in Munich showed how a cargo-bike operator saved approximately €1,250 per month in labor costs, avoided thousands in spare batteries, and cut battery damage by 20%. The takeaway? Less maintenance, more uptime.
Now shifting to prosumer markets, TILER says the Compact system will hit pre-orders soon, with a €250 price tag (roughly US $290) for the kickstand plus tile bundle. To get in line, a €29 refundable deposit is currently required, though they say it is refundable at any point until you receive your charger. Don’t get too excited just yet though, there’s a bit of a wait. Deliveries are expected in summer 2026, and for now are covering mostly European markets.
The concept isn’t entirely new. We’ve seen the idea pop up before, including in a patent from BMW for charging electric motorcycles. And the efficacy is there. Skeptics may wonder if wireless charging is slower or less efficient, but TILER says no. Its system retains over 85% efficiency, nearly matching wired charging speeds, and even pauses at 80% to protect battery health, then resumes as needed. The tile is even IP67-rated, safe for outdoor use, and about as bulky as a thick magazine.
Electrek’s Take
I love the concept. It makes perfect sense for shared e-bikes, especially since they’re often returning to a dock anyway. As long as people can be trained to park with the kickstand on the tile, it seems like a no-brainer.
And to be honest, I even like the idea for consumers. I know it sounds like a first-world problem, but bending over to plug something in at floor height is pretty annoying, not to mention a great way to throw out your back if you’re not exactly a spring chicken anymore. Having your e-bike start charging simply by parking it in the right place is a really cool feature! I don’t know if it’s $300 cool, but it’s pretty cool!
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Tesla has launched a new software update for its vehicles that includes the anticipated integration of Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car yet.
Earlier this week, CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla would integrate Grok, the large language model developed by his private company, xAI, into its vehicles.
Today, Tesla started pushing the update to the fleet, but there’s a significant caveat.
The automaker wrote in the release notes (2025.26):
Grok (Beta) (US, AMD)
Grok now available directly in your Tesla
Requires Premium Connectivity or a WiFi connection
Grok is currently in Beta & does not issue commands to your car – existing voice commands remain unchanged.
First off, it is only available in vehicles in the US equipped with the AMD infotainment computer, which means cars produced since mid-2021.
But more importantly, Tesla says that it doesn’t send commands to the car under the current version. Therefore, it is simply like having Grok on your phone, but on the onboard computer instead.
Tesla showed an example:
There are a few other features in the 2025.26 software update, but they are not major.
For Tesla vehicles equipped with ambient lighting strips inside the car, the light strip can now sync to music:
Accent lights now respond to music & you can also choose to match the lights to the album’s color for a more immersive effect
Toybox > Light Sync
Here’s the new setting:
The audio setting can now be saved under multiple presets to match listening preferences for different people or circumstances:
The software update also includes the capacity to zoom or adjust the playback speed of the Dashcam Viewer.
Cybertruck also gets the updated Dashcam Viewer app with a grid view for easier access and review of recordings:
Tesla also updated the charging info in its navigation system to be able to search which locations require valet service or pay-to-park access.
Upon arrival, drivers will receive a notification with access codes, parking restrictions, level or floor information, and restroom availability:
Finally, there’s a new onboarding guide directly on the center display to help people who are experiencing a Tesla vehicle for the first time.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla is really playing catch-up here. Right now, this update is essentially nothing. If you already have Grok, it’s no more different than having it on your phone or through the vehicle’s browser, since it has no capacity to interact with any function inside the vehicle.
Most other automakers are integrating LLMs inside vehicles with the capacity to interact with the vehicle. In China, this is becoming standard even in entry-level cars.
In the Xiaomi YU7, the vehicle’s AI can not only interact with the car, but it also sees what the car sees through its camera, and it can tell you about what it sees:
Tesla is clearly far behind on that front as many automakers are integrating with other LLMs like ChatGPT and in-house LLMs, like Xiaomi’s.
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Robinhood stock hit an all-time high Friday as the financial services platform continued to rip higher this year, along with bitcoin and other crypto stocks.
Robinhood, up more than 160% in 2025, hit an intraday high above $101 before pulling back and closing slightly lower.
The reversal came after a Bloomberg report that JPMorgan plans to start charging fintechs for access to customer bank data, a move that could raise costs across the industry.
For fintech firms that rely on thin margins to offer free or low-cost services to customers, even slight disruptions to their cost structure can have major ripple effects. PayPal and Affirm both ended the day nearly 6% lower following the report.
Despite its stellar year, the online broker is facing several headwinds, with a regulatory probe in Florida, pushback over new staking fees and growing friction with one of the world’s most high-profile artificial intelligence companies.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a formal investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Thursday, alleging the platform misled users by claiming to offer the lowest-cost crypto trading.
“Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
The probe centers on Robinhood’s use of payment for order flow — a common practice where market makers pay to execute trades — which the AG said can result in worse pricing for customers.
Robinhood Crypto General Counsel Lucas Moskowitz told CNBC its disclosures are “best-in-class” and that it delivers the lowest average cost.
“We disclose pricing information to customers during the lifecycle of a trade that clearly outlines the spread or the fees associated with the transaction, and the revenue Robinhood receives,” added Moskowitz.
Robinhood is also facing opposition to a new 25% cut of staking rewards for U.S. users, set to begin October 1. In Europe, the platform will take a smaller 15% cut.
Staking allows crypto holders to earn yield by locking up their tokens to help secure blockchain networks like ethereum, but platforms often take a percentage of those rewards as commission.
Robinhood’s 25% cut puts it in line with Coinbase, which charges between 25.25% and 35% depending on the token. The cut is notably higher than Gemini’s flat 15% fee.
It marks a shift for the company, which had previously steered clear of staking amid regulatory uncertainty.
Under President Joe Biden‘s administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission cracked down on U.S. platforms offering staking services, arguing they constituted unregistered securities.
With President Donald Trump in the White House, the agency has reversed course on several crypto enforcement actions, dropping cases against major players like Coinbase and Binance and signaling a more permissive stance.
Even as enforcement actions ease, Robinhood is under fresh scrutiny for its tokenized stock push, which is a growing part of its international strategy.
The company now offers blockchain-based assets in Europe that give users synthetic exposure to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX through special purpose vehicles, or SPVs.
An SPV is a separate entity that acquires shares in a company. Users then buy tokens of the SPV and don’t have shareholder privileges or voting rights directly in the company.
OpenAI has publicly objected, warning the tokens do not represent real equity and were issued without its approval. In an interview with CNBC International, CEO Vlad Tenev acknowledged the tokens aren’t technically equity shares, but said that misses the broader point.
“What’s important is that retail customers have an opportunity to get exposure to this asset,” he said, pointing to the disruptive nature of AI and the historically limited access to pre-IPO companies.
“It is true that these are not technically equity,” Tenev added, noting that institutional investors often gain similar exposure through structured financial instruments.
The Bank of Lithuania — Robinhood’s lead regulator in the EU — told CNBC on Monday that it is “awaiting clarifications” following OpenAI’s statement.
“Only after receiving and evaluating this information will we be able to assess the legality and compliance of these specific instruments,” a spokesperson said, adding that information for investors must be “clear, fair, and non-misleading.”
Tenev responded that Robinhood is “happy to continue to answer questions from our regulators,” and said the company built its tokenized stock program to withstand scrutiny.
“Since this is a new thing, regulators are going to want to look at it,” he said. “And we expect to be scrutinized as a large, innovative player in this space.”
SEC Chair Paul Atkins recently called the model “an innovation” on CNBC’s Squawk Box, offering some validation as Robinhood leans further into its synthetic equity strategy — even as legal clarity remains in flux across jurisdictions.
Despite the regulatory noise, many investors remain focused on Robinhood’s upside, and particularly the political tailwinds.
The company is positioning itself as a key beneficiary of Trump’s newly signed megabill, which includes $1,000 government-seeded investment accounts for newborns. Robinhood said it’s already prototyping an app for the ‘Trump Accounts‘ initiative.
WATCH: Watch CNBC’s full interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev
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