Coupling solar power with electrical driving: Shifting gear in clean transport

Aligning strategies for solar energy and e-mobility could be a powerful part of the strategy to decarbonize the transportation industry, strengthen grids, and accelerate national sustainability goals in the GCC. That is according to a new PwC report that delves into how the two sustainable developments should be better coupled in order to scale up together.

The global movement toward cleaner energy and transport is picking up speed, but its success hinges on more than simply swapping out old technology for new. Solar energy has huge potential for the sun-soaked countries of the GCC, which already have robust energy sectors.

There is also a rising wave of electric vehicles (EVs) in the GCC region, much like in other regions. This broad electrification of transportation presents a monumental shift in how people travel, with global electric car sales surpassing seventeen million units in 2024 and projected to exceed twenty million in 2025.

However, this rapid adoption presents a critical challenge: If the power used to charge these vehicles still comes from fossil fuels, the environmental benefit is drastically diminished. The next significant leap in sustainability is not about scaling up individual technologies, but about purposefully weaving electric mobility and solar energy together to create genuinely clean power for transport.

Solar and EVs

Currently, a major inefficiency exists because electric vehicles often charge in the evening when solar output is at its lowest, increasing reliance on conventional energy sources and placing stress on the power grid.

This mismatch overlooks a colossal opportunity: vehicles remain parked for approximately ninety-five percent of the day. With smart planning, this idle time could be perfectly aligned with peak daylight hours for solar charging, maximizing the use of clean energy and reducing pressure on the grid.

This integrated approach is gaining significant traction, particularly in regions with abundant sunlight and aggressive clean energy goals, such as the GCC nations. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in particular, are positioning themselves to lead the transition.

Saudi Arabia, for instance, has committed to generating a full half of its electricity from renewables by 2030, planning a vast solar capacity of nearly fifty-nine gigawatts. Similarly, the UAE has launched a $6 billion project that will add five gigawatts of solar power combined with nineteen gigawatt-hours of battery storage, creating one of the world’s largest integrated solar-storage systems.

This renewable energy focus is paralleled by rapid electric vehicle adoption, with the UAE seeing an astonishing sales increase of over two hundred sixty percent in 2024, while Saudi Arabia is investing $39 billion to establish a domestic EV manufacturing ecosystem.

Optimized solar charging

The technological framework for this coupling is now maturing – at its core, the solution involves aligning vehicle charging with the sun’s schedule. This is accomplished through smart charging systems, which use digital platforms to automatically time charging sessions to coincide with daytime solar output, especially useful at homes and offices where cars are parked for extended periods.

A more advanced integration involves bi-directional charging, also known as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. It allows electric vehicles to transform into mobile energy assets, capable of not only drawing power but also sending excess energy back to a building or the main grid during periods of high demand.

This model is already being piloted in places like Germany, where a federal grant incentivizes homeowners to install solar panels, battery storage, and bi-directional chargers as a single integrated system.

But despite the clear benefits, the journey to full integration of these solutions faces significant barriers. The power grid and existing charging solutions were not originally designed to handle the dynamic needs of combined solar-EV systems, and the high initial costs for these hybrid systems remain an obstacle for many.

Ultimately, the success of this revolution depends on moving past technical hurdles and focusing on strategic alignment across all sectors. GCC leaders must ensure that policy, infrastructure, and consumer behavior are all oriented toward a future where every electric car is powered by the sun.

“Coupling solar power and e-mobility isn’t just about cutting emissions – it’s about building a new energy economy for the GCC,” said Heiko Seitz, Middle East eMobility leader at PwC. “Clean mobility can become a catalyst for investment, jobs and innovation across the energy value chain, while strengthening grid resilience for decades to come.”