Integration of a photovoltaic panel with an electric city car

Autonomy of light electric vehicles with limited mobility can be improved by assisting onboard energy sources, such as battery and ultra-capacitors, by solar energy. This article discusses the integration of a photovoltaic panel with an electric city car. The Photovoltaic Geographical Information Systems of Joint Research Center, Europe, is used for estimating the solar irradiance. Based on the estimations, a DC-to-DC boost converter topology is considered to interface the panel with the DC bus of the electric car. Experimental evaluation of the performance is carried out under a real climatic situation. An analytical loss model is used to comment on the associated losses and to explain the measured changes in gain and efficiency under varying irradiance. Acceptable extension in the autonomy of the electric city car is predicted from the results.