Electric cars still want to have power somewhere. This is the argument that opposes the environmental credentials of electric vehicles. But when that source comes from renewable energy in the form of solar power, there’s not much to say.
Skoda invited me to drive their all-electric vehicle through Morocco to find out how the country is embracing solar and renewable energy to not only supply the country, but also to export that energy to other countries.
With a small organization of hounds and crew, we embarked on a 500-mile adventure, which took us to the beginning of the Sahara Desert and then on the long adventure north of the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, all on electricity.
It was also the best opportunity to fight diversity anxiety, travelling long distances in a country that has even less charging infrastructure than the UK. Not only did I realize that it was imaginable to travel long distances in Morocco in an electric vehicle, but I also met a couple who took on the challenge even more and traveled all over Africa in a Skoda EV and came up with a creative solution to their charging problem.
To meet the challenge, we had two of Skoda’s newest electric models, the Enyaq 85x SportLine Plus and the Enyaq Coupe 85x SportLine Plus. I had already tested the Enyaq iV 80 and the Enyaq Coupé iV vRS, they were new features. Both models feature 4×4 all-wheel drive, heated front seats, Matrix LED headlights, and 20-inch alloys.
Starting with its 82 kWh battery (77 kWh net), the Enyaq 85x offers a range of up to 329 miles (529 km), while the Coupe style offers a greater range of 334 miles (537 km) thanks to the more aerodynamic rear. Performance is also similar, with both providing 286 hp (mechanical power), acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 6. 6 seconds, and a modest top speed of 111 mph (180 km/h).
The cars are almost the same on the inside, with a 13-inch central touchscreen and a smaller motive force displayed by the steering wheel. The Coupé benefits from a panoramic glass roof, which will allow us to enter the cabin more smoothly. However, if you want more space for your luggage, the Enyaq 85x has 585 litres, compared to 570 litres for the Coupe.
During the trip, I was able to drive both models and found that the handling and functionality were very similar. But most impressively, EVs felt right at home on Morocco’s winding and unpredictable roads.
The world’s largest Sun Force plant is located on the outskirts of Ouarzazate in southern Morocco. Noor’s Sun Force plant generates more than 580 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power up to 2. 3 million homes in Morocco and first opened in 2016. .
Today, the facility includes four main solar power plants, in addition to Noor 3, which resembles the antithesis of Sauron’s eye from The Lord of the Rings. This close-up is not only impressive, but you can also see the tower from miles away, with its rays causing a halo effect around the most sensitive parts and small flashes of light like dust debris that vaporize in their wake.
A total of 7,400 rotogravure plates (giant mirrors), the length of a tennis court, direct sunlight toward a giant tower in the center. The tower is bathed in light that heats the molten salt to 562 degrees Celsius, generating the steam that turns the turbines and generates electricity.
Noor 4, the newest addition to the facility, uses photovoltaic cells to create a current, which is a cheaper solution, but without any battery storage, it can supply electrical power when the sun is shining. The Noor 1 and Noor 2 Arrays use a classic heat transfer fluid (HTF) procedure that can store heat to produce electrical energy at night.
So could solar force generate the force needed to make electric cars?Morocco is already slated to supply up to 3. 6 gigawatts of solar and wind power to the UK’s massive undersea cables. The Noor solar power plant will likely be part of this project.
In the heat of North Africa, Enyaq’s diversity would be much more cold-resistant than at home. However, you would still have to value the car at other times during the trip.
It’s hard enough to install an EV charger on the M5, but looking for one in Morocco proved to be an even bigger challenge. Fortunately, this was planned and in Ouarzazate there were chargers to recharge the cars before leaving.
Departing from Ouarzazate Airport, it takes about 30 minutes by car to reach the Noor Solar Power Plant, with the gigantic, gleaming tower of Noor 3 in my field of view all the way. Upon arrival, I was shown around the complex from the tower before heading to Noor 3 where I can stand among the gravure plaques.
Located at the base of the gigantic mirror structures, they appear even larger and are programmed to adhere to the sun so that the beam hits the tower. On one side of Noor 3, you can see slightly the other side of the circular design. A truly impressive installation.
From Noor, we drove south on the N9, which crosses the country like an artery from Casablanca in the north to the vicinity of the Algerian border. This strangely well-maintained road took us through small towns and villages, police checkpoints and large expanses of scrubland. The road winds between some mountains with tighter curves and dizzying drop-offs, before turning on the other side into a desert landscape.
I stopped in the town of Zagora for lunch after a drive of about two and a half hours. We then continue for an hour and a half to the small town of Mhamid, where the N9 ends.
Just because the road ends doesn’t mean you have to stop driving. Switching the Enyaq into traction mode, we continued in convoy along the sandy track and into the Sahara Desert. The comfortable sandy spaces required a quick adjustment of the wheels to keep us on the road and I had to accelerate so as not to get stuck.
The soft fade when we arrive at the camp, a classic Berber camp designed to welcome Western tourists. Driving on sand consumed more battery than driving on the highway, so the diversity was quite depleted.
Luckily, there’s an EV charger nearby. The Sbai Palace Hotel in Mhamid (just at the end of the N9) recently installed a 22 kW EV charger, making it the ultimate destination for EV drivers.
Maarten van Pel and Renske Cox recently travelled 13 months across Africa in a Skoda Enyaq and joined us at the desert camp. The Dutch couple’s 4×4 electric expedition covered 40,000 km in total and saw them living in the car and charging them with solar panels.
For solar charging, the pair worked with engineers to expand a more effective formula for getting maximum strength out of the panels. Most solar charging formulas, such as those used with portable battery power plants, such as EcoFlow and Anker, convert DC to AC. for the garage and then you want to convert it back to DC for EV charging.
This procedure wastes a large amount of energy, making charging less efficient. The formula they developed helps keep the existing one in direct operation, allowing less energy to be wasted in the procedure. This meant that with their wide variety of ground-mounted solar panels, they needed to produce up to 6kW of power to power the car.
This charging point meant that it might take them a full day before they were in a position to pass again. They also needed to drive efficiently, at slower speeds, to maximize their range.
They are currently working with a company to produce an advertising edition of their DC solar charger. This could attract other EV adventurers and even provide plenty of charging power for off-grid EV campers.
An incredibly well-packaged luxury item aboard his car was a Starlink receiver for high-speed internet, which connects directly to satellites to connect even when you’re off the grid. For Morocco, it was a cellular WiFi hotspot for my connection, which gave me a decent connection most of the time.
Leaving the desert again, I refueled and returned to the N9. The roads were incredibly sleek and well-maintained as they meandered into the more mountainous stretches.
It’s simple to be in an electric car when you’re immersed in incredible scenery and your battery still has a lot of miles on it. Every time I stopped for lunch or coffee, I plugged in the car and never went below 40%. battery. The lack of food and drink meant that no segment of the adventure lasted more than about 3 hours, which meant no more than a few hundred miles.
To succeed in Marrakech I had to cross the Atlas Mountains, which saw the most winding road and I ascended quickly. Some sections were endless hairpin bends as the car climbed the mountainside, but the Enyaq took it slow, with plenty of torque. Yes, it would have been great to take something sportier down this road, but this EV proved that it is more than capable.
Going back to the other side, the Enyaq benefited from this regenerative braking and freewheeling, thus restoring the diversity of the battery. By the time I got back on flat ground, the car’s diversity had barely replaced what I had on top.
The landscape changes north of the mountains and becomes greener, while the towns and villages are much more frequented by tourists and locals. A look at diversity told me I still had plenty on board when we stopped at the Royal Morocco Golf Course to refuel. before returning the car.
Just a few years ago, the concept of traveling wonderful distances in an electric vehicle seemed like hard work. Having already driven by the U. S. When I got into the U. S. in an electric vehicle, I was confident in the car’s ability to make the trip, but I still had my doubts about the infrastructure.
Luckily, I’ve found that, with a little more careful planning, it’s possible to locate stops where an electric vehicle can be valued, even in Morocco. And for trips further afield, there are possibly still creative solutions, such as the solar panels used through the 4×4 Electric equipment.
The strength of the sun in countries like Morocco makes the strength of the sun an apparent option for providing the electrical power needed to make electric cars. However, the bureaucracy of renewable energy can supply this force, such as wind and hydropower. With the right infrastructure in place, driving an electric car is no more complicated than a gas-powered car, even off-road.
As editor-in-chief of T3, Mat Gallagher is attuned to the latest technological advancements. He’s been writing about generation since 2003 and, after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago, he’s now in the UK. It’s a real amante. de gadgets, but especially anything like cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical tools, or travel.