Performance optimization of solar electric vehicles from the perspective of the life cycle

There is a lack of complete life cycle assessment (LCA) for solar electric vehicles (SEVs), particularly gaps in the quantitative analysis of synergistic effects between vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) systems and power battery configurations. To address these issues, this study conducted a cradle-to-grave LCA of SEVs relative to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Three interlinked models including life cycle carbon emission (LCCE) reduction, life cycle cost (LCC) increase, and energy consumption change were constructed, and four typical Chinese cities with distinct solar resource grades were selected for analysis. Key findings include: (1) SEVs significantly reduce the number of grid charges; for example, BEVs in Lhasa require 442 charges over 10 years, while SEVs only need 83 charges (81.2% reduction). (2) Power battery capacity reduction (20%–30%) balances environmental and economic benefits, and at 20% reduction (Lhasa) or 30% reduction (Chengdu), SEVs' LCC increase shifts from positive to negative. (3) Under similar numbers of charges, compared with BEVs, SEVs can reduce their power battery capacity by 50%–60%. (4) The LCC critical line (0 boundary) shifts upward with solar resource quality: at 25% VIPV efficiency, Lhasa tolerates an initial module cost of 500–600 CNY/m 2 , while Chengdu only tolerates 200–300 CNY/m 2 . Notably, improving VIPV efficiency has a weaker impact on LCC reduction than lowering initial module costs.