How many solar panels to charge a Tesla Model Y?
A 2025 Model Y Long Range AWD uses 28.8 kWh per 100 miles (EPA combined). For 30 miles a day that is about 8.6 kWh — about 2,232 W of panels, 6 panels of 400 W, at 4.5 peak sun hours.
How to work it out
- 30 mi × 28.8 kWh per 100 mi ÷ 100 = 8.6 kWh a day
- 8.6 kWh ÷ (4.5 sun h × 86%) = 2,232 W → 6 panels of 400 W
The Model Y is bigger and heavier than the Model 3, and the EPA figure shows it: about 17% more energy per mile. That is roughly one extra 400 W panel at 30 miles a day.
Adjust for your project
More options: Losses
- Solar array needed
- 2,232 W
- Charging energy per day
- 8.6 kWh
- Charging energy per year
- 3,153 kWh
- Driving per panel per day
- 5.4 miles
- This sizes panels to make the car’s energy over a day. The car only charges from them directly if it is plugged in while the sun shines; otherwise the grid (with net metering) or a home battery bridges the gap.
Panels for each car at the distance above
| Car | Charging energy per day | Solar array needed | Panels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD | 7.4 kWh | 1,910 W | 5 panels |
| 2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD | 8.6 kWh | 2,232 W | 6 panels |
| 2025 Nissan Leaf | 9.1 kWh | 2,359 W | 6 panels |
| 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD | 9.4 kWh | 2,422 W | 7 panels |
| 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning 4WD ER1 | 14.4 kWh | 3,714 W | 10 panels |
What to know about solar for a Model Y
- About 5.4 miles per panel per day. A 400 W panel’s 1.55 kWh at 4.5 sun hours covers about 5.4 miles in a Model Y.
- About 3,150 kWh a year at 30 miles a day. That is about 30% of the 2024 average US home’s use (EIA: about 10,359 kWh).
- A full-size pickup needs much more. The F-150 Lightning ER1 is listed at 47.9 kWh per 100 miles — about 10 panels for the same 30 miles.
- Charge in daylight if you can. Charging while the sun shines uses solar directly; otherwise the grid or a home battery covers the gap.
- Two cars, two budgets. A household with a Model Y and a Model 3, each driven 30 miles a day, needs roughly eleven 400 W panels for both at 4.5 sun hours — worth knowing before you pick a system size.
Compare the smaller car on how many solar panels to charge a Tesla Model 3. For a whole-house bill including the car, see how many solar panels for 2000 kWh per month.
Different size? Use the full EV Solar Charging Calculator.
What you’ll need
- 400 W residential-size solar panelPremium price
Fewer, larger panels for a cabin, shed or ground mount. Their higher voltage usually means an MPPT controller.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Plug-in electricity usage monitorBudget price
Plugs in between the wall and a 120 V appliance and shows real watts and kWh over a day — the honest way to fill in a load list, especially for fridges that cycle on and off.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many solar panels to charge a Model Y for 40 miles a day?
About 2,976 W — 8 panels of 400 W.
How many solar panels to charge an F-150 Lightning for 30 miles a day?
About 3,714 W — 10 panels of 400 W (14.4 kWh a day).
Other common sizes
- How many solar panels to charge a Tesla Model 3 — 5 × 400 W panels (1,910 W) for 30 miles a day
Sources
- U.S. DOE / EPA — fueleconomy.gov vehicle data (opens in a new tab) — EPA combined electricity use in kWh per 100 miles, measured at the wall outlet (charging losses included).
- National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL) — PVWatts® Calculator (opens in a new tab) — Look up the solar resource (peak sun hours) and yearly output for your own address; default system losses 14%.
- NLR (formerly NREL) — PVWatts® v8 API, NSRDB PSM V3 TMY data (opens in a new tab) — City figures on this site: fixed open-rack array facing due south, tilted at the site’s latitude, 14% system losses, queried October 2026.