Electric transportation is one of the fastest growing niches in energy demand in the United States. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity consumption by electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in the United States in the first nine months of 2024 more than doubled compared to the same period in 2022, reaching 7.8 TWh and exceeding the same figure for railway transport. Over 70% of demand is provided by electric cars, which, unlike hybrids, do not use internal combustion engine components.
Therefore, technologies that simplify the charging of electric vehicles are becoming increasingly in demand in the market. Until recently, most solutions assumed “stationary” charging. For example, Daiwa and Paired Power have separately developed carports equipped with solar panels and energy storage systems: electricity generated during sunny hours is sent to a storage tank, which powers the electric vehicle at night. This solution reduces the load on the network. By the end of 2023, there were 4.8 million electric cars and plug-in hybrids on US roads, each consuming an average of 1,582 kWh of electricity per year. This is comparable to the annual demand of a four-person household (3850 kWh per year).
In this regard, the development of DartSolar is a step forward, since it can be used directly while the electric vehicle is moving. The panels on the roof of the car are connected to a power source that converts solar energy into 120V alternating current. If necessary, the car owner can remove the panels and use the trunk to transport cargo with a total weight of over 20 kg.
DartSolar plans to improve the technology using tandem (silicon-perovskite) solar panels with a power of up to 3 kW, which will increase the range of an electric vehicle by 50-65 km per day.
