A solar-powered electric quadricycle: design, preliminary measurements, and modelling of the PV panels behavior

Researchers studies have showed that electric vehicles (EV) are able to limit emission problems in the automotive sector. This work evaluates the potential of photovoltaic (PV) system integrated into EV in real conditions; in particular, a solar-based quadricycle was design and developed at University of Perugia together with a local company. A deep study was carried out to define the design, the mechanical characteristics of the vehicle, and the best circuit configuration. The paper presents the description of the quadricycle, and the preliminary results in terms of charging performances from the sun in typical autumn-winter days when the vehicle is stationary. The measurements results are used to develop and apply a one-diode model for the PV panels that are used for the battery charging of the vehicle. The study was conducted during the autumn-winter season, with test days spaced one month apart. The percentage deviation between the predicted and measured data was below 20%, even under very low solar radiation conditions. This analysis will be deepened in future works considering also other seasons and the algorithm accuracy is expected to improve during spring and summer.