Hybrid vehicles and solar energy: A possible marriage?

摘要: In last years, as a consequence of the diffusion of Hybrid Electric Vehicles and to the growing recourse to renewable sources, increasing attention is being given to the integration of these vehicles with photovoltaic panels. Hybrid Solar Vehicles might represent a valuable solution to face both energy saving and environmental issues, particularly in case of intermittent use in urban conditions, but relatively little research effort has been spent in this direction. This paper focuses the main problems related to the development of these vehicles, with specific attention on photovoltaic panels and power electronics. Some results obtained by a model for the optimal design of a hybrid solar vehicle with series structure, including effects of vehicle dimensions, weight and costs, are presented and discussed.