Why did I build a 100% solar powered truck: Project Griff the solarEV

Why did I build a 100% solar powered truck: Project Griff the solarEV

A few people have asked me: “Why did you build a solar powered truck?” “Why bother spending so much time and money on this project?”

The simple answer is: because it COULD be done!

I kept seeing buzz about electric vehicles (EV’s) and seeing more and more car manufacturers FINALLY create more electric options…yet when I went to an EV car show, not ONE of them had solar on the roof. I have worked in the solar industry for a number of years, and the cost efficiency is there!
A panel costs a few hundred bucks, and if the car sits in a parking lot on a sunny day, the solar module will charge the battery quite a bit! Sure, 1 or 2 three to four hundred watt panels integrated into the roof and hood wouldn’t FULLY charge the car…but with all the questions and complaints about range it seemed obvious to me that putting solar on an EV would technically mean it could drive forever.

Solar on an EV means that while you work or play, your car is filling ITSELF up! A seemingly simple thing, yet has the potential to change the world! Project Griff will change the world.

I named my solar electric truck Griff, like the mythical winged Griffin creature. I had to build big wings of solar panels to get enough power for a full charge each day, so it is kind of a mythical vehicle.

My hope is to deliver free seminars and webinars to people on the potential for solar and EVs to change the world!

Imagine if your car filled itself up with fuel every day. Not only would that be cool, it would mean ENERGY INDEPENDENCE! Not a penny of your weekly paycheck would need to go to buy transportation fuel…and this can be true for your home as well.

I imagine a world where there are no lives or dollars taken from Americans for fuel. No more relying on foreign supplies of energy. We declared our independence in 1776, let us declare energy-independence in 2020!

If you would like to learn more, please follow me on social @AWAKENSOLAR
and keep track of all my the stories and travels of my fully solar powered truck using the hashtag #PROJECTGRIFF!

#projectgriff visiting a solar powered home in Idaho.

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Comments ( 5 )

  • Gary Crum

    Where are you? I want to learn more about Griff! I am in Cache Valley, Utah.

  • Charles Moore

    You’re awesome. Ive been dreaming about solarfying (that’s a word right?) my skoolie/rv.

    Can you give me some specs?
    Battery kWh? Total solar capacity?
    Was that bus electric to begin with or do you convert that?

  • Pingback:Solar Powered Box Truck Will Tour America To Promote Renewable Energy | CleanTechnica

  • John

    Cool project. What’s are the specs of your truck? How much solar? How big are the batteries? How far can you drive on a sunny day? What about on a lightly overcast day?

    Good luck!

    • Joshua Hill

      Thank you John! The factory specs are an 80 kWh battery system on the Smith Newton model I bought.

      If it is sunny I can go forever, or about 100 miles until the sun goes down! If this system were powering a normal sized EV, it would go well over 400 miles!

      I’ll be doing a breakdown of Griff’s capabilities and specs via video once I am on the road and have more time…stay tuned here and on social @awakensolar #projectgriff
      #solarEV

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