DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF A SOLAR ASSISTED ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROTOTYPE

Abstract

The rising fuel prices and pollution posed by the traditional vehicles have spawned an urgent demand of sustainable and affordable forms of transport. Furthermore, the utilization of non-renewable sources of energy limits the efficiency, availability, and long-term viability of vehicles, which highlights the need to create renewable energy-powered vehicles. This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental analysis of a miniature solar assisted electric vehicle (EV) prototype which is intended to be deployed in the low-speed urban mobility. The vehicle embeds a 1 kW DC motor, a 48 V lead acid battery pack, a PWM based charging system and a basic voltage-based battery protection system. The mechanical subsystems are a lightweight steel frame, independent suspension, rack and pinion steering and simple aerodynamic shaping. The operating conditions were set and experimental testing was run to measure the speed, range, and charging performance. The prototype was aimed at reaching 28 km per hour and 20 km solar assisted driving range. The findings indicate the feasibility of low-cost solar assisted electric vehicles in educational, research and localized transport modes of transportation.