The development of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology has been fuelled by the rising need for economical and environmentally friendly transportation options to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and improve energy efficiency. The design and development of a small-scale hybrid electric vehicle that combines photovoltaic (PV) system, dry electrolyzer, battery and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as its main energy sources is shown in this work. The small-scale EV’s physical prototype is built and tested experimentally in a variety of operating scenarios using PV system that adds supplemental energy to enhance overall performance, while the fuel cell supplies a steady power source. Through modeling and experimental validation, the vehicle’s performance is examined, assessing important characteristics including power output, energy efficiency, and dynamic responsiveness under varied operating circumstances. Accurate representation of thermal and electrical losses is indicated by low mean absolute percentage error ((MAPE) <10%) values. There is a good degree of agreement between the electrolyzer’s calculated and experimental voltages. The electrolyzer current model had R2 of 0.98 with MAPE <9%, but the photovoltaic current forecast had an R2 of 0.91. The results show that incorporating renewable energy sources into HEV architecture is feasible, leading to increased efficiency and lower emissions. An efficient energy management algorithm was used to operate this system. The hybrid system proved to be more energy efficient than standalone systems. The additional electricity from the photovoltaic module during the day reduced the load and hydrogen consumption of the fuel cell, thus extending the operating lifespan of the system.
