Design, analysis, and mechanical assembly of a three-wheeled solar-powered electric vehicle

Abstract

The limitation of conventional energy source and the dependency on them for energy generation imposes the need to diversify energy sources and taking steps towards saving them. In Kuwait, energy generation is based on fossil fuel which is limited and will one day vanish. Therefore, there is a strong need to start using electric vehicles instead of petrol-powered vehicles. Accordingly, the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of a solar-powered electric vehicle is proposed. The proposed vehicle is powered by the energy generated by photovoltaic (PV) modules and stored in a battery. The vehicle is equipped with a monitoring system to check the voltage and current levels of the PV modules. Several tests to evaluate the performance of the vehicle were carried out and the results prove the ability of the vehicle to be driven for a long duration.