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Techno-Economic Assessment and Sensitivity Analysis of a Hybrid Wind–Solar EV Charging Station for Highway Applications

  • Armin Bagherian 1,   
  • Mohammad Mohsen Hayati 1,   
  • Mahdi Hasanpour Nordoz 1,   
  • Mehdi Abapour 1,*,   
  • Morteza Nazari-Heris 2,3,   
  • Kazem Zare 1,3

Received: 10 Dec 2025 | Revised: 26 Feb 2026 | Accepted: 16 Mar 2026 | Published: 30 Apr 2026

Abstract

Annually, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are rising, and with this increase in EVs and the corresponding demand for charging, the power grid may experience shortages, or in certain regions, the infrastructure to support charging stations, particularly on highways, may be lacking. This paper explores the feasibility of using wind and solar energy along highways to power electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs). Wind turbines can produce electricity from the wind generated by passing vehicles. When combined with solar panels installed on turbine towers or streetlight poles, they can illuminate the highway and power the EVCS located along it. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of the plan and its effects on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Finally, the proposed feasibility analysis approach is evaluated on a case study of the Tabriz-Sahand highway in the Homer program, which is simulated and analyzed to build an EVCS using a combination of wind turbines, solar panels, and the grid, and the costs of different scenarios were calculated. The findings show that as electricity prices rise, the use of renewable energy for EVCS construction increases, whereas pollutant emissions decline significantly.

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Bagherian, A.; Hayati, M. M.; Nordoz, M. H.; Abapour, M.; Nazari-Heris, M.; Zare, K. Techno-Economic Assessment and Sensitivity Analysis of a Hybrid Wind–Solar EV Charging Station for Highway Applications. Smart Energy Systems 2026, 1 (1), 4.
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