Electric vehicles with solar panels? It is possible – and INESC TEC is involved. The European project SOLAR-MOVE aims to develop, integrate and demonstrate photovoltaic (PV) solutions in electric vehicles, as well as in charging infrastructures. The goal is to accelerate the transition to more sustainable mobility and reduce CO₂ emissions.
INESC TEC is one of the partners in this initiative, which aims to reduce dependence on the power grid and increase vehicle range. The targets are ambitious: to provide an additional 5 to 10 kilometres of daily range through PV panels, and to cut energy consumption from the grid by between 20% and 50%.
To achieve these objectives, the project will develop and test five types VIPV (Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics), including heavy goods vehicles, buses, waste collection vehicles, delivery vehicles and motorhomes. It will also address ePIPV (Electric-powered Infrastructure Photovoltaics) adapted to different settings, such as motorway service areas, urban environments and commercial zones.
INESC TEC will be responsible for developing energy management tools and optimising PV systems integrated into electric vehicles, as researcher Tiago Soares explained: “our work includes creating methodologies for the planning and operation of ePIPV, energy management models that consider vehicle usage patterns, and evaluating the value of energy flexibility associated with integrating renewables into charging systems”.
Although some vehicles with integrated solar panels already exist, they still face limitations, e.g., significant costs, limited contribution to vehicle range, technical challenges in mechanical and electrical integration, and a lack of market strategies. “SOLAR-MOVE aims to overcome these barriers through an integrated approach that combines new solar cell and encapsulation technologies adapted for vehicles, advanced energy management and forecasting algorithms, business models and energy flexibility services, as well as real-world validation in several European countries,” added Tiago Soares.
Pilot projects will be implemented in seven countries: Portugal, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, New Zealand, Albania and Slovenia, covering different types of vehicles and operational contexts. In Portugal, the core is applying solar panels to distribution vehicles, managing public parking, and integrating photovoltaic systems with storage at charging stations.
By the end of the project, new vehicle prototypes and innovative solutions for smart charging and energy management are expected to be developed. The results should also contribute to public policy recommendations, guidelines for municipalities, and new regulatory frameworks to support the widespread adoption of these technologies.
The project’s beneficiaries span the entire electric mobility value chain: car manufacturers, the photovoltaic industry, fleet and charging infrastructure operators, transport companies, electric vehicle users, and public bodies responsible for mobility management and the energy transition.
“The scientific community will also benefit from the knowledge generated by the project, making use of solutions that promote the integration of e-mobility and renewable energy, including participation in grid flexibility services. For INESC TEC, this is another opportunity to develop tools with strong application potential,” the researcher stated.
With a budget of around €7M, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, the project began in November 2025 and is expected to run for three and a half years, bringing together a consortium of 34 partners from 16 countries, combining scientific and industrial expertise to develop and implement these solutions.
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