Analysis for Expansion of Driving Distance and CO2 Emission Reduction of Photovoltaic-Powered Vehicles

Development of photovoltaic (PV)-powered vehicles is very important to play a critical role in a future carbon neutrality society because it has been reported that the vehicle integrated PVs (VIPVs) have great ability to reduce CO2 emission from the transport sector. Usage of high-efficiency solar cell modules is essential due to the limited installable area of PV on vehicle exterior. This article presents test driving data of the Toyota Prius demonstration car installed with high-efficiency III-V compound triple-junction solar cell module with an efficiency of more than 30%. Average daily driving distance (DD) of 17 km/day under usage of air conditioning and 62% CO2 emission reduction are demonstrated by actual driving in Nagoya, Japan. In addition, analytical results for impact of high-efficiency VIPV modules of more than 35% on increases in DD of more than 30 km/day average and reducing CO2 emission of PV-powered vehicles of more than 70% reduction are also shown.

Automated summary

Development of PV-powered vehicles is crucial for a carbon neutrality society as vehicle integrated PVs have the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector. The use of high-efficiency solar cell modules is essential due to limited installation area on vehicle exteriors. This article presents driving data of a Toyota Prius installed with a high-efficiency III-V compound triple-junction solar cell module, achieving an efficiency of over 30%. The results demonstrate an average daily driving distance of 17 km/day with air conditioning, and a 62% CO2 emission reduction through actual driving in Nagoya, Japan. Additionally, analytical results show the impact of high-efficiency VIPV modules (>35%) on increasing the average daily driving distance by over 30 km/day and reducing CO2 emissions from PV-powered vehicles by over 70%.