Power Requirements

The first technical question we have to answer is exactly how much power do we need to produce each day? It depends upon what kind of a vehicle we’re in and how much power it consumes per mile.

Assume for a second we drive in something like a Tesla Model Y. It has over 80 cu ft of cargo capacity. That gives us plenty of room for solar panels and camping gear. And it is relatively energy-efficient at 260 watt-hours/mile.

We also need to carry roughly 3 lbs of food and 5 lbs of water per person per day. That translates to roughly 60 lbs per week. Given that, we can reasonably carry enough supplies for 2-3 weeks before the weight and size become untenable.

A coast-to-coast trip (e.g. LA to Myrtl Beach) is roughly 2600 miles. So if we want to complete the trip in two weeks then we have to travel an average of 200 miles each day.

200 miles X 260Wh/mile = 52kWh of energy per day plus a bit more for cooking and small electronics. So let’s say we need roughly 54kWh per day.