Sedan efficiency vs crossover comfort, sized for solar
Spain's high solar irradiance makes it one of the best places in Europe to charge an EV from your roof — but the car you drive still matters. The Model 3 Long Range's 13.8 kWh/100km consumption is well ahead of the IONIQ 5's 16.8 kWh/100km, meaning fewer panels and a faster payback for the same annual driving distance.
Based on 15,000 km/year — adjust the distance below to match your driving.
Model 3 comes out ahead overall (1 of 2 metrics), though IONIQ 5 isn't far behind.
Enter your address and driving habits — the results above update with real solar data.
Common Questions
Spain's strong solar irradiance means both cars need fewer panels than in Northern Europe for the same mileage — but the Model 3's lower consumption still means it needs noticeably fewer panels than the IONIQ 5 for identical driving habits.
Yes — the IONIQ 5 Long Range RWD consumes about 16.8 kWh/100km versus the Model 3 Long Range's 13.8 kWh/100km, a roughly 22% efficiency gap in the Model 3's favor.
Yes — with some of the highest peak sun hours in Europe, most EV drivers in Spain see faster payback than almost anywhere else on the continent, even with a less efficient EV. A more efficient car simply gets you there sooner.
Fast-charging speed (charging power in kW) doesn't affect how many solar panels you need — that's driven by total annual energy consumption, not how quickly the car can accept a charge.