Abstract Cities have become the focus of global climate mitigation efforts because as they are responsible for 60%–70% of energy-related CO₂ emissions. As the world is increasingly urbanized, it is crucial to identify cost-effective pathways to decarbonize and enhance the resilience of cities, which ensure the well-being of their dwellers. Here, we propose a ‘SolarEV City’ concept, in which integrated systems of cities’ roof-top photovoltaics and electric vehicles (EVs) supply affordable and dispatchable CO₂-free electricity to urban dwellers. Our analyses indicate that implementations of the concept can meet 53%–95% of electricity demands in nine major Japanese urban areas by 2030. CO₂ emission from vehicle use and electricity generation in these areas can be reduced by 54%–95% with potential cost savings of 26%–41%. High cost-effectiveness and seasonally stable insolation in low latitudes may imply that the concept may be more effective to decarbonize urban environments in emerging economies in low latitudes. Among several factors, governmental interventions will play a crucial role in realizing such systems, particularly in legislating regulations that enhance penetration of the integrated system of PV and EV and enable formation of decentralized power systems. As bottom-up processes are critical, policy makers, communities, industries, and researchers should work together to build such systems overcoming social and regulatory barriers.