The dependence of electric vehicle (EV) charging on grid electricity drawn from fossil-fuel-based generation defeats the purpose of sustainable mobility. This paper presents the design and prototype development of a tri-hybrid renewable EV charging station that simultaneously harvests energy from three independent sources: a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) array, a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), and a Regenerative Speed Bump (RSB) mechanism. Each source feeds a common 12 V DC bus through dedicated signal-conditioning chains — MPPT for solar, and full-bridge rectifier followed by a voltage regulator for VAWT and RSB — with isolation diodes preventing reverse current flow. The conditioned power charges a 12 V, 5 Ah lead- acid battery, from which an EV charging dock is supplied. Energy calculations based on actual prototype hardware yield a gross daily harvest of approximately 182.9 Wh, reducing to roughly 128 Wh of usable energy after system losses. The three sources are chosen for their complementary availability: solar dominates during clear daylight, wind supplements during low- irradiance periods, and the speed bump produces a transient energy pulse with every vehicle passage. The prototype, demonstrates a cost-effective, grid-independent charging solution scalable to full-station deployment.
Reddy et al. (Thu,) studied this question.