Energy Harvesting Techniques for Extending the Range of Electric Vehicles

The frenetic pace of development of electric vehicles as a pillar of sustainable mobility has witnessed significant strides in battery technology and motor efficiency. Range anxiety is still the highest issue hindering their adoption globally. The field of study with highest potential to enhance EV range without expanding the battery size is the use of energy harvesting technology. Energy harvesting, which is the process of capturing and storing ambient energy from multiple sources, including solar, thermal, mechanical, and regenerative systems, provides a supplementary power source to improve vehicle independence. This article describes and compares various energy harvesting techniques suitable for EVs in depth. They are photovoltaic systems, piezoelectric and triboelectric processes, thermoelectric generators, and regenerative braking. Suitability and constraints of each method are compared on the basis of integration feasibility, energy conversion efficiency, cost, and impact on extended driving range. In addition, the paper presents comparative analysis of hybrid energy harvesting systems, suggesting multi-source integration mechanism that combines heterogeneous harvesting mechanisms together in synergy to achieve improved performance. An energy output model and its effect on vehicle range are developed and tested using simulations and case studies. Findings suggest that though individual energy harvesting systems, sequentially, offer range extension of limited capacity, collective integration of the same can achieve remarkable gains to the tune of 10–20% EV range extension under perfect conditions. System design and power management methods used in the existing system enable non-intrusive interference with the master battery system and enhance overall energy efficiency globally. In conclusion, the integration of intelligent energy harvesting technologies is a viable path to improve EV performance, mitigate reliance on giant battery packs, and enhance sustainability. This paper lays the groundwork for future research in autonomous electric vehicle mobility systems and opens up avenues for integrating smart energy into vehicle platforms