In conventional automobiles, internal combustion engines drive the compressors of the air conditioning systems. In this thesis, a solar-powered hybrid electric compressor is proposed to integrate with internal combustion engines for automotive air-conditioning systems. The solar-powered hybrid electric compressor is driven by a high efficiency electric motor, which is powered by two heavy duty batteries. The electric power mainly comes from two energy sources. The first source is solar cells that convert solar energy into electric energy to charge the batteries. The second source comes from the internal combustion engine, while the engine is running, its alternator charges up the batteries. A passenger car has been selected to be a demonstration vehicle for this project. The solar-powered hybrid compressor technology is suitable for commercial vehicles, especially for taxis in Macau. During the time that the taxi is waiting for its passengers, the driver can maintain air-conditioning without running the engine, this technology can reduce engine emission and fuel consumption in terms of air-conditioning operation.