CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine)

Solar cars can reduce global charging needs by half

A new study modeled the behavior of solar vehicles in 100 locations around the world.

Loukia Papadopoulos

Created: Sep 22, 2023 04:59 PM EST

INNOVATION

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Representational image of a solar powered car.

 

According to a new study, solar energy can provide a range of between 6 and 18 miles (11 and 29 kilometers) for electric vehicles each day, cutting down on the requirement for charging by half. The study took into account the capabilities of solar-powered vehicles in urban settings in 100 locations across the world, modeling the behavior of the cars in busy cities.

Used for limited purposes

Solar cars are automobiles that run primarily on solar energy, which is commonly captured using photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on the surface of the car. Sunlight is converted into electricity by these panels, which can then be used to either directly power the electric engine of the vehicle or to charge batteries. 

Compared to regular petrol or electric automobiles, solar cars have a shorter range. Their range is affected by things like weather conditions, solar cell performance, and solar panel size. As a result, they are frequently employed for limited purposes like short journeys or urban commuting.

This is because, due to the efficiency of solar panels and the constrained surface area available on a car, it is difficult to provide enough power for long-distance or high-speed driving. Additionally, the performance of the vehicle can be considerably impacted by environmental factors like overcast days.

However, solar vehicles have no emissions from their tailpipes, which makes them eco-friendly and helps to minimize air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This makes them especially suitable for city use.

“Cities are today the main market for electric vehicles and, due to the relatively small travelled distances, are particularly interesting for solar-powered vehicles. However, in urban areas, we have buildings, trees and other obstacles casting shadows onto the roads thus limiting the solar potential of driving or parked vehicles. The purpose of the work was to assess if the impact of these shadows is a significant limitation to the potential of solar cars”, explained Miguel Centeno Brito, first author of this study, researcher at Instituto Dom Luiz – IDL, at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.

The new analysis also revealed that cities in Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, and Southeast Asia are the best places for solar-powered vehicles. However, other regions with significant potential included China, North America, and Australia. In those regions, the cities’ solar losses from shade are approximately 25 percent, making them ideal for the widespread adoption of this technology.

A roadmap for policymakers

Despite the quick uptake of electric cars, the transportation industry still contributes to around one-third of all worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, it is necessary to considerably reduce the emissions related to mobility in order to meet global decarbonization targets.

Our results can help establish a roadmap for policymakers and the automotive industry to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly urban future,” concluded Brito.

Despite being a promising and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, solar cars only have a small market at the moment because of issues such as price and range. However, as solar technology develops, this may soon change.

Study abstract:

Solar-powered vehicles have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, operational costs and charging frequency needs of electric vehicles. This potential will depend on the local solar irradiation but also shadowing conditions, a relevant issue for urban contexts. The potential of solar-powered vehicles in the urban context is modelled for 100 cities across the world showing that the median solar extended driving range is 18 and 8 km/day/kWp for driving and parked vehicles, respectively. The most favourable geographies include Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia; nonetheless, solar-powered mobility has relevant potential across the full sample, including China, Europe, North America and Australia.