VTI to examine energy-autonomous cargo vehicles

Energy-autonomous vehicles, often called solar-powered electric vehicles, may sound like a dream, but they have been a reality for several years. In a new research project, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) will evaluate the performance and business opportunities for three-wheelers that are partly charged using solar power.

The project, funded by the Swedish Energy Agency and conducted in partnership with Clean Motion AB, will evaluate the performance, efficiency and user experience of the company's EVIG electric three-wheeler. The vehicle is used for lightweight transport in urban environments. It is equipped with solar panels on the roof and is charged with renewable energy while driving.

The transport vehicle is currently being used in France, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, and data will be collected from all these countries. A key objective is to identify differences in performance between different regions, climates and operating conditions.

“Energy-powered autonomous vehicles offer a unique opportunity to improve the sustainability of transport by reducing dependence on electricity from the grid and lowering operating costs. However, their performance is highly dependent on weather, geography and technical efficiency, which poses challenges for widespread adoption,” says Harrison John Bhatti.

The project also examines the user perspective, the cost-effectiveness of the vehicles and the different challenges of adoption in different markets. This experience and knowledge will then be used to develop possible business models and market strategies for solar-powered vehicles.

“The project is a first step in the research on energy-autonomous vehicles and will form the basis for several follow-up projects. In the next step, we hope to include more types of vehicles and transport,” says Harrison John Bhatti.

Because light-duty vehicles have significantly lower energy consumption during operation, the integrated solar panels on EVIG make real operational sense, as they can meet most of the vehicle’s energy needs in the right conditions.

“By combining low vehicle weight, high powertrain efficiency and optimised solar panels, EVIG can be virtually self-sufficient in the right conditions. This means we are not just reducing the need for charging – we are redefining the possibilities for electric transport vehicles in urban environments,” says William Collings, CTO of Clean Motion.

The project “Energy-autonomous vehicles: Analysis of the operational performance and user experience of solar-powered electric vehicles” runs from June 2025 to the end of 2027. It is being funded under the research programme Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation (FFI), Zero Emissions.

Translation: CBG