The objective of this paper is to present a case study of designing a solar powered electric vehicle for use in surveillance and monitoring applications. The reason for using solar generated power is to investigate the role of renewable energy in powering electric vehicles. This is due to the increase in greenhouse gases due to fossil emissions and the fact that oil is unsustainable resource. Therefore, electric vehicles become an interesting choice due to their inherent advantages: quiet operation, zero operational emissions and comparatively lower maintenance costs. This when combined with using solar power can reduce/eliminate the need for charging an electric vehicle, which is an added advantage. In this paper, this concept has been applied through preliminary analysis of an electric golf cart. A summary of the overview of solar power technology was presented, focusing on the efforts in automotive applications. This was followed by a simple introduction to the main components of a solar powered electric vehicle. The experimental and theoretical work to convert an existing electric golf cart to a solar powered electric vehicle was described. Finally, a comparative analysis between initial vehicle and final one was introduced.