Performance analysis of solar electric bikes.

Urban transportation is a significant contributor to energy consumption and environmental degradation, while solar electric bikes (SE-bikes) represent a viable solution for alleviating both problems. In this paper, the charging and discharging properties of the SE-bike are investigated. An SE-bike is constructed for short and long term experiments. Experimental results indicate that the SE-bike can increase endurance by 20.5 km on a sunny day, and can meet daily cycling needs of 10 km without charging in both summer and autumn in Hefei. To assess the annual performance of the SE-bike, a theoretical model is developed, which includes the effects of environmental factors, vehicle shapes, daily electricity usage, etc. Simulation results reveal that the SE-bike only needs to be charged 5 times per year to meet daily demands in Hefei, which is a relative reduction of 93.0 % compared to 71 times per year for the regular bike without solar power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]