Enhancing Communication and Energy Efficiency in an IoT-Enabled Solar-Powered Vehicle

Internet of Things technologies offer possibilities to enhance energy management, telemetry, and performance in solar-powered racing, in which reliable and energy-efficient communication is essential. In this context, WiFi is an inefficient alternative due to high power consumption and limited range. This study evaluates LoRa for CAN bus data transmission in solar vehicles. Factors as packet loss, energy use, signal strength, and interference are analysed over <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{12.5 - 125m}$</tex>. The study examines transmission parameters (spreading factor, bandwidth, and frequency) to balance power and connectivity. Results show LoRa as a stable, energy-efficient alternative to WiFi for telemetry, enabling long-range communication with lower power use.