Design and simulation of a solar-powered EV charging station with battery backup using raspberry Pi real-time monitoring

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as a key solution to decarbonize the transportation sector, particularly when powered by renewable energy. To support this transition, this study presents the design and simulation of a 4.4 kW off-grid solar-powered EV charging station with integrated battery backup, developed in MATLAB/Simulink. The proposed system operates independently of the utility grid and is evaluated under five environmental and operational scenarios to assess performance and adaptability. The charging station integrates a photovoltaic (PV) array controlled by a Perturb and Observe (P&O) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm coupled with a boost converter to maximize energy extraction. A diodebased switching mechanism ensures continuous power delivery, either directly from the PV or via the battery. Additionally, a Raspberry Pi module is incorporated for real-time monitoring of the battery's state of charge (SOC), enabling intelligent energy management. Simulation results demonstrate system efficiency ranging from 75% to 95%, with the highest performance observed under standard test conditions. The system remains robust under variable conditions, confirming the viability of off-grid operation. This work contributes a scalable, standalone EV charging solution for locations with limited or no grid access.