Integration of Solar-Power in Electric Vehicle Industry 13-03-01-0005

The electric vehicle market is expected to put a large strain on the existing electricity grid. Additionally, the majority of grid electricity is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, negating the environmental benefits of electric vehicles. As such, it is necessary to evaluate the “green” options that will allow electric vehicles to break away from the grid—solar power. Solar power uses photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity, which can then go into recharging a car’s battery. Its existing usage has been limited due to cost and efficiency concerns; however, recent improvements in technology have made them viable. In particular, new materials have driven the cost down to $0.30 per Watt. Meanwhile, different thin-cell silicon materials are achieving efficiencies in excess of 20%. This article evaluates these advances and analyzes the applicability of solar-power for vehicles. In particular, it focuses on the direct mounting of photovoltaic cells to vehicles, the development of solar-power recharging station, and the use of solar-power for producing hydrogen for fuel cells. This article concludes that solar power has numerous applications and will play a larger role in vehicle market as these technologies mature.