Vehicle-to-Water (V2W) Concept for Disaster Relief to Ensure Safe Access to Freshwater and Electricity—A Proposed System Where Electric Vehicles Power the Desalination Process

Abstract

In this paper, the concept of vehicle-to-water is proposed for disaster relief. This, along with a presentation of a new system including an electric vehicle of van type, with roof-mounted solar panels and a desalination system installed in its cargo hold. The system can be used for transportation and water and electricity supply, with zero tailpipe emissions. The mobile electric vehicle and desalination system are expected to be beneficial for communities with an urgent need for freshwater while also lacking electricity, such as during natural disasters or societal crises in coastal regions. It is related to the water–energy nexus and is an interdisciplinary project. The electric vehicle would have to be charged from a grid-connected charging infrastructure, and the desalination system would require an inlet of seawater and would generate freshwater and brine. The presentation of the innovative system is followed by a brief case study, estimating the amount of freshwater that could be generated and the amount of people that could benefit from such a system. It is estimated that one system could produce up to 29,333 L of freshwater daily, suggesting that around 1466 people could fulfill their personal daily freshwater need of 20 L during a disaster.