Solar cells integrated into electric vehicles have long been a mainstay of collegiate racing competitions, but the small amount of roof
area has prevented vehicle-solar installations from having a dramatic market in more conventional vehicles. Still, vehicle solar roof installations
have a great potential because they can almost always be exposed to the sunlight as they are frequently parked for hours in parking
lots at work, shopping, or other open spaces. At the same time hybrid and electric vehicle drivers are typically concerned about their
all-electric driving range and do whatever they can to plug-in and ‘‘top off” the battery whenever possible. Unfortunately this behavior
mode of topping off the battery can establish situations where the vehicle’s solar collection is neutralized because the battery is already
full. This paper analyzes this conflict for different charging and driving scenarios with an emphasis on commuters who would have access
to workplace charging. It is found that regular commuters who make use of level-2 workplace charging could experience a loss of more
than 75% of the potentially available photovoltaic output from roof-installed solar on their vehicles. This surprise finding is discussed
from the perspective of plug usage habits and ‘‘range anxiety”.
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