Review of the Solar Energy Application in Automotive Industry

Abstract

Recently, increasing efforts are being spent towards the application of the solar photovoltaic technologies to electric and hybrid vehicles, primarily due to the increasing electrification of the vehicles, but also because of the decreasing cost of photovoltaic technologies and to the increasing efficiency of photovoltaic panels. This paper gives a broad overview of past, present, and possible future applications of solar energy in solar and hybrid solar cars. About the technical parameters and structures of the vehicles, it is discussed based on collected data and information from various studies, research papers, and published announcements by well-known automobile companies and newly established start-up companies. This paper aims to present the current world situation of the solar technology application to the solar and hybrid cars and to compare their parameters.