Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining more and more traction as a viable option in the automotive sector. This mode of transportation is currently on track, according to current trends, to totally replace internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in the not-too-distant future. The economic system, the energy infrastructure, and the environment are just a few of the areas where electric vehicles could have a major impact. The transportation industry produces the second-most carbon dioxide gas from the combustion of fossil fuels, making it the second-highest contributor to global warming. A lot of people are looking to EVs, or electric vehicles, as a possible game-changing answer to this problem. Since an electric motor drives the electric vehicle’s propeller instead of an internal combustion engine, electric vehicles can reduce their carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions compared to traditional automobiles. If coupled with renewable energy sources, EVs might theoretically become emission-free automobiles. In this paper, we will examine the various EV drive circuit types, including their construction and the benefits and drawbacks of employing each. This article discusses the current state of battery technology with an emphasis on EV batteries. This article discusses the best electric motor for EVs in terms of efficiency, power density, fault tolerance, dependability, cost, and more. Next, we conduct in-depth research into the difficulties and potential rewards of EV adoption in the future. While improvements in areas like charging times and battery performance are encouraging, government regulation of EVs remains a big non-technical barrier.

Power grids of the future will likely incorporate more renewable energy distributed generation (REDG), also known as alternative energy systems. REDG units are increasingly being used in electrical transmission networks because of the positive effects they have on power networks. REDG systems are the backbone of smart electric networks and are essential to the operation of the smart grid. These REDG systems can additionally improve system reliability by providing some customers with a backup generator in the event of power interruptions. This review offers a thorough evaluation of the existing body of information on the topic of electric vehicles’ (EVs’) future interactions with smart grids. The combination of the potential deployment of EVs and the smart grid’s conceptual goal presents challenges for electric grid-related infra-structure, communication, and control. The proposal for connecting EVs to the grid is based on research into cutting-edge smart metering and communication systems. In the context of the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) phenomenon, the possibilities, benefits, and limitations of various EV smart-charging systems are also fully examined. A quickly growing percentage of distributed energy is derived from wind and solar (photovoltaic) energy. The variable power output of wind and solar energy introduces fresh challenges for those responsible for organizing, operating, and controlling the power grid. While fluctuations in the electric grid are problematic, they may be mitigated by the entry of EVs into the energy market. As such, we performed a comprehensive review of the literature to learn more about this exciting research gap that needs to be filled and to identify recently developed solutions to the problems related to EVs. Additionally, in this review article, we take a close look at the practicality of V2G technology. The smart grid is a developing concept that will likely have large implications for the world’s energy infrastructure, and this study thoroughly analyzes how EVs interact with it.

The rapid global shift toward renewable energy necessitates innovative solutions to address the intermittency and variability of solar and wind power. This study presents a comprehensive review and framework for deploying Integrated Energy Storage Systems (IESSs) to enhance grid efficiency and stability. By leveraging a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework, this study synthesizes techno-economic optimization, lifecycle emissions, and policy frameworks to evaluate storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, pumped hydro storage, and vanadium flow batteries. The framework prioritizes hybrid storage systems (e.g., battery–supercapacitor configurations), demonstrating 15% higher grid stability in high-renewable penetration scenarios, and validates findings through global case studies, including the Hornsdale Power Reserve (90–95% round-trip efficiency) and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (15,000+ cycles for flow batteries). Regionally tailored strategies, such as Kenya’s fast-track licensing and Germany’s H2Global auctions, reduce deployment timelines by 30–40%, while equity-focused policies like India’s SAUBHAGYA scheme cut energy poverty by 25%. This study emphasizes circular economy principles, advocating for mandates like the EU’s 70% lithium recovery target to reduce raw material costs by 40%. Despite reliance on static cost projections and evolving regulatory landscapes, the MCDA framework’s dynamic adaptation mechanisms, including sensitivity analysis for carbon taxes (USD 100/ton CO₂-eq boosts hydrogen viability by 25%), ensure scalability across diverse grids. This work bridges critical gaps in renewable energy integration, offering actionable insights for policymakers and grid operators to achieve resilient, low-carbon energy systems.

The globe and more particularly the economically developed regions of the world are currently in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Conversely, the economically developing regions in the world (and more particularly the African continent) have not yet even fully passed through the Third Industrial Revolution (3IR) wave, and Africa’s economy is still heavily dependent on the agricultural field. On the other hand, the state of global food insecurity is worsening on an annual basis thanks to the exponential growth in the global human population, which continuously heightens the food demand in both quantity and quality. This justifies the significance of the focus on digitizing agricultural practices to improve the farm yield to meet the steep food demand and stabilize the economies of the African continent and countries such as India that are dependent on the agricultural sector to some extent. Technological advances in precision agriculture are already improving farm yields, although several opportunities for further improvement still exist. This study evaluated plant disease detection models (in particular, those over the past two decades) while aiming to gauge the status of the research in this area and identify the opportunities for further research. This study realized that little literature has discussed the real-time monitoring of the onset signs of diseases before they spread throughout the whole plant. There was also substantially less focus on real-time mitigation measures such as actuation operations, spraying pesticides, spraying fertilizers, etc., once a disease was identified. Very little research has focused on the combination of monitoring and phenotyping functions into one model capable of multiple tasks. Hence, this study highlighted a few opportunities for further focus.

Renewable energy has emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges of climate change, energy security, and socio-economic development. South Africa, with its abundant renewable energy resources, has made significant strides in the utilization of renewable energy over the past decade. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the progress of renewable energy advancement in South Africa, examining the policies, initiatives, and achievements in various renewable energy sectors. This study explores the country’s transition from a heavily coal-dependent energy system to a diversified and sustainable energy mix. It analyses the growth of renewable energy technologies, such as wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV), highlighting the key milestones, challenges, and opportunities. Furthermore, this paper discusses the role of government support, regulatory frameworks, and private sector investments in driving renewable energy deployment in South Africa. Finally, it identifies the prospects and potential areas for further advancement in the renewable energy sector. This review aims to contribute to the understanding of South Africa’s renewable energy journey and provides valuable insights for policy-makers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in the sustainable energy transition.

In this paper, a fault protection diagnostic scheme for a power distribution system is proposed. The scheme comprises a wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) for signal processing and analysis and a support vector machine (SMV) for fault classification and location. The scheme is tested on a reduced Eskom 132 kV power line. The WPD is used to extract fault signatures of interest and the SVM is subsequently used for fault classification and locating various fault conditions. Furthermore, we investigate the effectiveness of the SVM scheme using different samples of the cycles for fault classification and location. The results show that the fault classification and location on a distribution line can be determined rapidly and efficiently irrespective of the fault impedance and incipient angle with minimum estimation error. Lastly, the proposed scheme is tested on a grid-integrated system with renewable energy sources.