Application of photovoltaic panels in electric vehicles to enhance the range

I. Diahovchenko, L. Petrichenko, I. Borzenkov, M. Kolcun

Heliyon Vol. 8, nº. 12, pp. e12425-1 - e12425-7

Summary:

There is a significant increase in the number of alternative energy sources and electric vehicles. Therefore, there is a growing need for new technical solutions to increase the distance that an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility of mileage increasing of an electric vehicle by means of commercially available solar energy technologies that require minimal investment. The considered electric car can be recharged from solar panels mounted on its roof during parking stages. Photovoltaic modules can contribute to the vehicle's propulsion or energize its accessories, such as ventilation, air conditioner, heated passenger seats, interior lighting. The results demonstrate feasibility of the proposed solutions for both cases with and without sun-tracking adjustments of solar panels. The calculations show that the vehicle-integrated photovoltaic panels can provide energy for up to 6.32% of the range on a full charge of the battery during the sunniest summer months and up to 1.16% of the range during the least sunny winter months, for the given conditions.

Keywords: Electric vehicle; Travel distance; Solar panel; Battery; Solar irradiance; Photovoltaic array

JCR Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 4,000 - Q2 (2022); 3,400 - Q1 (2023)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12425

Published on paper: December 2022.

Published on-line: December 2022.

Citation:
I. Diahovchenko, L. Petrichenko, I. Borzenkov, M. Kolcun, Application of photovoltaic panels in electric vehicles to enhance the range. Heliyon. Vol. 8, nº. 12, pp. e12425-1 - e12425-7, December 2022. [Online: December 2022]