Lifestyle
Integrating Portable Solar Panel Technology into the Tesla Model S
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UPDATE: 8/19/14 – After three months of continuous everyday use, both in-car and outdoors (predominantly left on the patio), the Voltaic 10W portable solar system has managed to power a household of two iPhones and one iPad purely on solar energy, and become a welcomed new member of the family.
It took some getting used to at first considering the entire assembly is as tall as a high schoolers backpack and more cumbersome to lug around than some of the smaller portable solar devices that I had a chance to test (Solar Joos, Anker). But despite the larger size, the Voltaic solar panel was hands down the best performing, most reliable and had superior quality over the others. In fact, it’s changed my entire perspective on how useful solar energy can actually be to the point I felt dirty just plugging anything into a wall (as ironic as that may sound from an EV family).
The Voltaic System portable solar panel device is certainly not the cheapest and some will argue that the cost for portability far exceeds what you would be paying if using a standard wall outlet, and they are right.
But for some it goes beyond just a cost benefit analysis. If you’re that type, then this device is for you. All in all, it’s a superb device in every sense and has made me become quite reliant on it. It’s hard to imagine adjusting back to using outlets for my mobile and tablet devices when each day brings free energy from the sun.
Read the original review below.
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Elon Musk has long touted that solar energy will be the future of electric vehicles so why wasn’t it incorporated into the Tesla Model S?
A part of me still wonders why this never happened. Perhaps it was a way to offset the large costs associated with having an automotive-grade lithium ion battery pack capable of 260+ miles of range. Or was it due to the fact that roof-integrated solar cells à la now defunct Fisker is nothing more than a cool factor with no real cost benefit?
Either way, it got me thinking – how can I store some of the sun’s energy while embarking on a long distance Tesla road trip? Or better yet, store solar energy while the Model S is at rest during the work week? The energy recouped through the sun need not be channeled back into the car itself, but could still provide usable power for a mobile device or laptop.
This exact thought led us to find three leading makers of portable solar charging technology with the goal of being able to store solar energy implicitly through our Tesla Model S. We’ll be conducting a review of each product in a three part series. The first being Voltaic System‘s Fuse 10W Solar Laptop Charger.
Initial Impressions
Voltaic’s 10W Fuse Solar Charger dominates in its presence. The three large solar panels encased within a beautiful gloss coated metal frame is a tell-tale indicator that this device can pack some serious charging capabilities. At first I was surprised to feel how heavy the entire unit was (3.6 lbs), only to later find out that the bulk of the weight was from the detachable high capacity lithium polymer battery that was stowed inside the zippered clam-shell casing.
Attached to the back of the Fuse Solar Charger unit was a set of straps and clips which, frankly, I had no idea how to use but was eager to learn.
Technical Specifications
The Fuse is capable of generating 10 Watts of power through its three 3.4 Watt solar panels. Configurable voltage settings provide the flexibility to power your most basic low voltage mobile device and tablets, to laptops and digital cameras that can demand up to 18V.
Aside from the obvious good of using renewable solar energy, Voltaic Systems took it to a whole new level of being eco-conscious by mounting the solar panels to a durable and lightweight shell made from recycled plastic soda bottles, otherwise known as PET. The clam shell design allows it to be used as a storage container for the detachable 20,000 mAh, 72 Wh lithium polymer battery and a plethora of device adapters.
NOTE: Amazon’s description shows a 16,000 mAh although the one we received directly from Voltaic Systems contained a 20,000 mAh battery
Tablets and small notebooks can easily fit within the casing.
LEDs on the battery indicate the level of charge. Five lit LEDs represents a full 100% state of charge. The battery has a USB out as well as an attachment set that allows you to connect to virtually any type of device.
Solar Panels
- Solar panels are waterproof and abrasion resistant
- Power: 10 Watts total peak output at 6 or 18 Volts
V72 Universal Laptop Battery
- 20,000 mAh, 72 Wh battery capacity is one of the larger portable batteries I’ve seen. Capable of replenishing an iPhone ten times and an iPad twice on a single charge.
- When not in the sun, the battery can also be charged through the included DC car or AC chargers, making it just as useful on the grid as off.
- Charge Time: In direct sun, V72 battery fully charges in 14.5 hours from 10 Watts and in 9 hours from 16.8 Watts of solar panels.
- Protection: Short Circuit, Over Charge, Over Discharge, Over Current, Over Temperature
- Charge Display: LEDs light sequentially when charging.
- Capacity Display: 1 light < 20%, 2 lights < 40%, 3 lights < 60%, 4 lights < 80% full, 5 lights > 95%
Solar Charging Tesla Center Console
Instead I found a perfect home for the Fuse in the Tesla Model S center channel. Not only does it fit great within that location, it helped conceal any miscellaneous belongings that would normally be left out in the open without a Tesla Center Console unit.
Charging in direct sunlight will clearly achieve the best charging results, but nevertheless I wanted to see how much solar energy I can gather behind the UV protected glass of the Model S.
A red LED towards the top of the “Voltaic” insignia lights up as soon I placed the Fuse solar charger between the two front seats to indicate that solar energy is being collected. Bingo.
Placing the Fuse 10W Portable Solar Charger on the Model S center channel allows it to harnesses the power of the sun and store it for later use.
Even behind glass I was able to capture enough solar energy to charge a mobile phone. However, the most common use case for me was to leave the Fuse in the center channel of the Model S each day while I was at work. It’s always an exhilarating feeling to be able to come back to some additional energy at the end of each work day. The energy is stored within the detachable battery making it a useful battery extender for my notebook when I’m on the go or just as a battery backup.
Summary
Voltaic System’s Fuse 10W Portable Laptop Charger is extremely durable and capable of the most rugged of outdoor adventures. Short of going on a camping excursion where access to electricity maybe limited, it’s hard to see the need to carry both laptop and Fuse device simultaneously, although the name of the product may suggest otherwise.
However if you’re looking for a world-class portable solar charging device that can mount to practically anything, blends naturally into the Tesla Model S, has a huge industry-leading 20,000 mAh battery capacity with adjustable voltage outputs, and don’t mind paying a premium $339 USD, then Voltaic System‘s portable solar charger just might be for you.
Elon Musk
Tesla primes Cybercabs for 4K streaming and high bandwidth gaming with Starlink integration
Tesla is now shipping Cybercabs from Giga Texas with Starlink hardware built in as standard.
Tesla’s Cybercabs are now leaving Gigafactory Texas with Starlink hardware on the rear hatch in significant numbers, according to drone footage captured Tuesday by longtime Austin drone observer Joe Tegtmeyer. Production at the factory ramped back up after the Labor Day weekend, and his flyover of the outbound lot showed rows of gold Cybercabs alongside Model Y Long Wheelbase units, many carrying the satellite module for the first time as standard equipment rather than a one off retrofit.
Giga Texas today is busy with production coming back up following the long weekend. Of interest today in the outbound lot is the appearance of hundreds of Mode; YL’s and many more Cybercabs and for the 1st time equipped with the Starlink module one the hatch in big numbers.
At… pic.twitter.com/G9yl6s51m4
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) September 8, 2026
Tesla first showed Starlink built into an actual Cybercab on August 10, when the Robotaxi account posted images of a single gold unit with the antenna integrated into the roofline above the taillights and called it the first Cybercab with Starlink integration. That followed a July reveal where Tesla and Starlink jointly posted a cutaway diagram of the antenna placement without a working vehicle to back it up. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI software, said at the time that the connection isn’t required for the car to drive itself. It exists mainly for navigation, customer service and keeping tabs on the fleet.
Musk has made a different case in public. During Tesla’s Q2 earnings call, he said the company can’t afford robotaxis stranded in what he called “Bermuda Triangles of lack of cellular connectivity,” and he separately claimed on X that Starlink will eventually reach every Tesla built, calling it the only way to deliver high bandwidth to billions of vehicles. He has also pitched the antenna as an entertainment upgrade, telling riders they would be able to stream 4K video or play games during a trip.
The rollout has moved fast since. Robotaxi service opened to the public in Austin on September 3, and Cybercabs had already been spotted with Starlink hardware in Houston and near Miami International Airport in the weeks before Tuesday’s factory footage showed the module shipping at volume rather than on scattered test units. Whether the satellite link earns its keep is still an open question. Tesla’s unsupervised service currently runs in dense metro geofences in Texas and Florida, markets where cellular coverage is already strong, which is not where the rural dead zones Musk describes tend to show up.
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck targets job site crews with new Tailgate Utility Track and Bed Gear Box accessory
Tesla launched a $350 tailgate track and a $985 lockable Bed Gear Box for Cybertruck.
Tesla’s Cybertruck team added two more items to the Tesla Shop, targeting job site crews and owners who use the truck bed for actual work rather than just showing it off. The official Cybertruck X account posted the Tailgate Utility Track and the Bed Gear Box within minutes of each other, part of a five item batch that also included a reflective jacket, a spray paint hat and an updated reflective tee.
The Tailgate Utility Track runs $350 and turns the folded down tailgate into another mounting surface. It’s a single aluminum track with a T-slot for sliding accessories and two L-track attachment points, plus two load stops included in the box. The pitch is straightforward: strap down oversized cargo, like lumber or a cooler, that hangs off the back of the bed without it sliding out mid-drive. It bolts onto the existing tailgate and works on every Cybertruck trim.
Tailgate Utility Trackhttps://t.co/PCAYXlFBvS pic.twitter.com/sCV2NVxf1W
— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) September 3, 2026
The Bed Gear Box costs $985 and is a different kind of accessory. It’s a lockable aluminum storage box, 55.78 inches long, 19.8 inches wide and 7.79 inches tall, that mounts to the bed’s L-track rails and comes with two internal bins for smaller items. According to Tesla, at just over 57 pounds empty, it’s meant to stay in place rather than come in and out with each trip, giving owners a factory-fit alternative to loose totes for tools, recovery gear or emergency supplies. Tesla’s listing notes that Long Range and Dual Motor AWD Cybertrucks need the L-Tracks accessory installed separately before the Gear Box will mount, since L-tracks come standard only on certain configurations.
Tesla Cybertruck bed gear box accessory
Both accessories lean on the idea Tesla has been building toward since Elon Musk first described the Cybertruck’s third-party attachment strategy at the 2023 shareholder meeting, when he said the truck would ship with mounting points so outside companies, and Tesla itself, could keep adding gear without redesigning the bed. That’s the same L-track backbone underneath the tailgate shield and jumpseats Tesla launched last year, and the off-road armor package that arrived through the same X account in 2025.
Owners looking to round out the rest of the L-track ecosystem, cargo dividers, MOLLE panels, bed racks and similar gear, can find a wider range of options through our Cybertruck accessories collection.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk says he knows how to save Earth for a billion years
Elon Musk says sentient AI satellites launched from the Moon could keep Earth livable forever.
Elon Musk spent part of his weekend describing a plan to keep the planet livable for roughly a billion years, and it starts with satellites that can think for themselves.
In a post on X, Musk argued that swapping fossil fuels for solar and wind power will not be enough to protect humanity from what he called extremely severe extinction events, the kind that occur roughly every 100 million years. His fix is what he called sentient satellites, or solar-powered satellites, controlled by AI, that would sit in a fixed spot between Earth and the Sun after being launched off the Moon using a giant electromagnetic catapult instead of rockets.
The satellites’ onboard AI would make continuous, small adjustments rather than waiting on human instructions. The mass driver is Musk’s proposed way of getting the raw material there cheaply by using an electromagnetic launch track built on the Moon, where lower gravity and no atmosphere make it far easier to fling cargo into space than it is from Earth.
But we do need to act much faster than that if people still want to live where the beach is today. We have about 50 years or so to take action, which should be more than enough time for the space satellites to solve any heating problems. https://t.co/xhrVQALwQw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2026
Musk shared a Grok generated estimate suggesting roughly 5 percent of Florida’s land, or about 1.68 million acres, could face regular flooding by 2070 under a high sea level rise scenario, and said humanity has about 50 years to act before coastal living looks very different than it does today.
This is not the first time Musk has floated the idea. He raised a similar concept in November, describing a solar powered AI satellite constellation that could make tiny adjustments to incoming sunlight to fine tune Earth’s temperature. Musk has also tied planetary risk to his broader vision at SpaceX, where his compensation package is explicitly linked to establishing a self-sustaining Mars colony, one he has described as an insurance policy against the kind of extinction event he referenced this weekend, and where he has said humans could set foot within five to seven years.
NASA taps SpaceX for more astronaut missions as Boeing Starliner remains grounded
New drone video shows Tesla’s Optimus Factory reaching a turning point
