Feasibility Analysis and Optimisation of Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) Systems for Sustainable Transportation

This paper investigates the feasibility of vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) systems for light vehicles by developing and simulating an intelligent solar integration design based on the Tesla Model 3. The proposed system incorporates roof and bonnet-mounted photovoltaic modules, each managed by independent buck converters employing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for optimal energy extraction. A novel fuzzy logic controller was designed to dynamically allocate auxiliary battery charging between the traction battery and the solar subsystem, using real-time irradiance and state-of-charge (SOC) inputs. The system was implemented in MATLAB/Simulink with location-specific data for Melbourne, Australia. Simulation results demonstrate high converter efficiencies of 94–95%, stable MPPT convergence within 0.5 s and an estimated annual solar contribution of 930 kWh, confirming effective control and energy management under varying conditions. This work highlights the innovative application of adaptive fuzzy control and dual MPPT coordination within VIPV systems and provides a validated basis for future optimisation and real-world integration.