Fewer breakdowns, greater reliability: solar power supporting vehicle fleets
07 May 2025
Even a brief service interruption can lead to lost revenue, reduced customer satisfaction, and weakened profitability. But the most frustrating part? When the issue is caused by… a simple dead battery.
Why would a perfectly functional vehicle fail to start after just a few days parked? And more importantly — how did a compact, autonomous solar solution developed in Quebec put an end to the problem?
👉 Discover how CAPSolar turned an invisible issue into a long-term solution. ☀️
An invisible challenge that weakens idle fleets
Did you know that even when parked, car-sharing vehicles continue to consume energy? Built-in systems like GPS, sensors, and telemetry modules stay active in the background, constantly drawing from the battery. In just a few days, the battery can become fully discharged — and the vehicle won’t start.
This scenario is all too common in shared fleets: a perfectly working car becomes unusable simply because of a drained battery. That means urgent service calls, vehicle downtime, and unnecessary financial losses.
That’s exactly what one of our clients was facing. On several of their vehicles — including Chevrolet Trax models — a small parasitic drain of just 40 mA was enough to kill the battery after a few inactive days. The result was always the same: lost time, unexpected costs, and operational pressure.
When the slightest downtime becomes an operational and financial burden, you need a solution that’s reliable, autonomous — and built to prevent the problem before it starts.
A tailored solution: discreet and efficient
From our very first conversation, the need was clear: eliminate breakdowns without complicating fleet operations. A simple, autonomous solution that integrates seamlessly into daily use.
That’s why we developed an integrated 41.25 W solar system, specifically designed for the Chevrolet Trax. Installed directly on the roof with no visible external cabling, it blends naturally into the vehicle’s silhouette — without compromising on design or reliability.
Our approach is simple: turn a field issue into a durable, smart technological solution. The panel works quietly in the background. It offsets energy loss, stabilizes voltage… and most importantly, ensures the vehicle starts — even after several days without being used. It's a clean, local system, designed for Québec’s climate and the real-world needs of fleet operators. And above all: it works.
Real-world performance, backed by data
The objective was straightforward: offset the parasitic drain, maintain safe voltage levels, and prevent breakdowns. The results speak for themselves:
In every case, solar production far exceeded the energy consumed by the vehicle’s onboard systems. The result: a continuous, silent recharge — with zero intervention required. Battery voltage remained well above 12 volts throughout the test period, far from the critical threshold that leads to failures.
A discreet yet powerful performance that kept the vehicle fully operational, even after extended periods of inactivity.
A modular technology for much more than car-sharing
Originally developed for trucks, our solar solution now adapts to a wide range of platforms — cars, recreational vehicles (RVs), sailboats — all facing the same energy autonomy challenges. Just like in car-sharing fleets, the onboard systems in these vehicles continue to draw power even when idle, steadily draining the batteries, hence our solar system.
But with RVs and sailboats, our solution goes even further. Beyond preventing breakdowns, it can cover a significant portion — and in some cases, all — of the vehicle’s daily energy needs: lighting, ventilation, refrigeration... It’s no longer just a fix — it’s a step toward true energy independence.
But that’s a story for another article…
You’ve probably guessed it by now: our field-tested technology offers a real, tangible solution to a widespread operational challenge.
Whether you manage a fleet of trucks or cars, or own an RV or a sailboat, we can help you eliminate battery-related failures — and much more.
Durable, elegant, high-performing, and locally built, our solution gives you true peace of mind — with no compromises.
☀️ Discover how our technology can transform your operations!